fragrant hardy shrubs

can anyone suggest the best fragrant hardy shrubs to provide a wafting scent both day and night

 

One of my favourites is Phildelphus [mock orange], and another is the bush clematis, clematis heracleifolium. There are quite of a few varieties of both of these. Viburnums have lovely perfumes and varying flowering times, and cytisus [broom] are short lived but worth it. There are also lilacs [trees really but dwarf ones available], buddleias, and lavenders. All these are fully hardy and will tolerate a variety of soil and weather conditions.
Others are Abelia, Amelanchier, Daphne, Osmanthus, Hoheria, Roses
If you have a large enough garden , you could vary flowering times to try to have something in flower most of the year!

 

Hi John,

I love the smell of Mahonia x Media "Charity". You'll have probably seen it around a lot - it has spiky leaves, and very fragrant flowers from late autumn to late winter. They're great for filling in space, and when they grow it's very interesting to watch as they seem to put out a huge growth (almost as much again as their current size). The only problem is that the flowers aren't all year round which may not fit in with your plans.

 

I'm sure if you tried a search on "scented shrubs" you'd find a lot. Even in the short time I've been coming to this site, it's something people keep asking about - a hot topic!

 

Add to the list already supplied, the sweet box. Got some this year, and I can vouch for the scent from those tiny white flowers.

 

this is another tough plant with interest all year...ELAEAGNUS pungens 'MACULATA'
An evergreen, bushy, slightly spiney shrub, with glossy, dark green leaves marked with large, central,deep yellow patch.
VERY FRAGRANT, URN SHAPED, CREAMY WHITE FLOWERS, open from mid, to late autumn.
And another, CHIMONANTHUS praecox.
frost hardy, best trained against a wall if in a very cold area, full sun, well drained, fertile soil. winter flowering, very fragrant, cup shaped, yellow flowers with purple centres, on bare branches.