English gardens are well known for their delicious scents – here is a selection of small scented shrubs that are easy to care for and will brighten up your garden.

Remember when buying scented plants it is best to buy them when they are in flower so you can smell before you buy!

• Daphne burkwoodii Somerset has the most delicious clove scent – plant in a group of three for best effect. Grows to 4ft or 1.2m and has lovely pink flowers in spring. Hardy – Z6.

• Philadelphus microphyllus is a small version of the mock orange with its marvelous scent and dainty white flowers that bloom in June . Grows to 3ft or 1m and is hardy – Z 5

• Syringa or lilac also comes in a petit version but with the same gorgeous perfume. Try syringa microphylla Superba with lovely pinky lilac flowers that bloom in May and again in September. Hardy – Z4 grows to 4ft or 1.2m

• Lavender which no English garden should be without – try the smaller varieties such as Angustifolia - Little Lady with its sky blue flowers or Miss Katherine which has delicate pink flowers both with a delicious perfume.

• French lavender – now widely grown in English gardens – the best one for scent is Lavender Stoechas – Papillon with its purple blooms
  Roses – the best to grow in a small space are the continuously flowering small roses but smell before you buy! Some roses have no scent at all which is always disappointing. Anna Zinkeisen with its pale yellow fragrant blooms grows to 4ft or 1.2m or try Bliss which has lovely pink scented blooms and grows 2-3 ft or 60cm to 1m.

It is always a good idea to visit your local garden centre each month then you can get some idea of the plants in bloom for that month and give them the nose test!

Enjoy your English Garden!