Dawn’s top 10 fragrant plants for shade

Begonia ‘Pink Giant’ A tender summer bedding plant with large, scented pink flowers from July. Ideal for pots or hanging baskets. H20cm (8in) S40cm (16in) Lilium longiflorum ‘White Heaven’ Tall elegant lily with highly scented blooms. Makes an impressive cut flower and works well in deep pots. H1.2m (4ft) S45cm (18in) Convallaria majalis rosea Rarer pink form of lily of the valley with the same delicate fragrance and pretty nodding heads. Useful for path edges. H20cm (8in) S25cm (10in) Daphne tangutica Compact evergreen shrub with scented, purple-flushed white flowers (May-Jun). These are followed by rounded red fruits. H and S1m (3ft 3in) Sarcococca confusa Small, glossy lanceshaped leaves and tiny vanilla-scented white flowers (Dec–Mar) followed by blue-black berries. H and S1m (3ft 3in) Lonicera purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ Its white flowers emit amazing winter scent. To lengthen its season of interest, plant with a late clematis. H2m (6½ft) S2.5m (8ft) Phlox paniculata ‘Discovery’ Perennial with strongly scented pale pink flowers (July–Oct). Add support before the flowers appear. H75cm (30in) S50cm (20in)

Clematis montana rubens ‘Freda’ A less

vigorous C. montana cutivar, this deciduous climber has cherrypink, sweetly-scented flowers (May-Jun). H6m (19ft) S3m (10ft) Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Carnegie’ Great in pots as a scented centrepiece for an outdoor table. The blooms are both fragrant and beautiful. H and S25cm (10in) Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’ This compact form produces large orange-scented cup-shaped white flowers (Jun-Jul). H1.2m (4ft) S2.5m (8ft)