Start making scents

that will add fragrance to your garden, and help children interact with plants through smell.

It can be such a powerful force that some care homes and hospitals are now using scent – including that from plants – to help dementia patients.

I have a whole host of plant varieties growing at home to welcome and invigorate visitors – and many can be introduced easily into your garden so you can instantly benefit from the heavenly aromas.

One of the most beautiful fragrant plants is Lippia citriodora (lemon verbena) which has thin leaves and grows to about 2.5 metres in height in well-drained soil with full sun. Mulch it in autumn to protect the roots – it may also need winter covering in northern Britain.

It gives off a very strong lemon sherbet scent from its leaf.

Some people use the leaves in summer drinks to add a refreshing tang, or even in tea.

Lemon verbena has to be on the top of my list when it comes to plants that smell like sweets, but another firm favourite is a plant whose flowers smell like chocolate!

It’s called chocolate cosmos, a herbaceous shrub producing flowers about the size of a 10p piece which are a charming burgundy colour.

Again it likes moist but well-drained soil and full sunlight for best results.

Mint is another winner – the fragrances of peppermint, spearmint, apple mint and chocolate mint are simply unmissable. Crush the foliage of chocolate mint and take a whiff – it’s like smelling an After Eight mint.

Mint is so easy to grow, perhaps too easy because if they are planted in a border, they quickly take over.

You can control them by planting in pots, containers or a window box.

Salvia elegans (sage) ‘Scarlet Pineapple’ really does smell like chunks of fresh pineapple or the pineapple cube sweets I used to buy as a child.

It tolerates a very dry border or a warm, sheltered spot on your patio.

You can also make herbal tea from it, which is said to help with ailments such as heartburn and insomnia.

Heliotropium arborescens is also known as the cherry pie flower because some people describe the scent as “cooked cherries”.

I’ve always thought it smells more like vanilla ice-cream. The plant has beautiful purple cluster flowers with white and green centres – but do not eat it because it’s toxic, not ideal for gardens with young children or pets who like to eat garden plants. Compact varieties will be happy in a container, so place them somewhere where you can sit and relish the smell of freshly baked dessert. They will thrive in full sun or partial shade and like a sheltered spot.

There are many more beautiful plants with rich fragrance in their flowers –honeysuckle, roses, Daphne, sweet peas all deliver big for the nose. But varieties with fragrant foliage are also plentiful – rosemary, chives, oregano and many other herbs unlock many beautiful experiences with the sense of smell.

There is a huge variety of fragrant plants that can spruce up borders and containers, which will in turn zest up that engagement with children.

If you go to a garden centre, let the kids help to pick out the plants and plant them themselves so they engage with the ownership and nurturing.

By positioning the plants in different places, you’ll have delightful fragrances filling your space while encouraging the kids to explore, adding another element of interest, and helping your space become a sensory spectacle.

An old-fashioned garden sieve is a must to get your beds and borders in tip-top condition. It’s a less backbreaking way to remove stones, weeds and lumps from soil.

This heavy-duty Bulldog sieve with a robust pressed steel rim will last for ever. I found it for £18.99 via amazon.co.uk.

For loads more hints and tips on gardening, visit daviddomoney.com or follow me on Facebook at @DavidDomoneyTV or on Twitter @daviddomoney

UNMISSABLE Mint