Help me to sniff out the quality climbers

What climbers are best for scent? Dillis, Powys

One of the most highly scented climbers is the evergreen star jasmine, with a long flowering season throughout the summer, right up to autumn. Many honeysuckles have a rich scent and climbing or rambler roses are fragrant too. tage that you get to enjoy the display while looking out the window. For this, you will need to combine plants that have similar requirements.

If your window box is in full sun, summer bedding plants will be quite happy. For shady boxes, go for Begonia ‘Hazel’s Front Porch’ or busy lizzies.

Hanging baskets provide a heady greeting for visitors. Choose fragrant flowers to exploit the fact they’re at nose height. Striking ‘Sunpurple’ petunias, ‘Moonlight’ violas or decorative pelargoniums work well, or mix it up and grow strawberries in baskets ready to harvest by late summer. And make your selection based on colour.

Choosing shades from the opposite side of the colour wheel will provide contrast to the display. Deep purples can offset crisp white perfectly, so look to incorporate Nicotiana ‘Perfume Deep Purple’ next to delicate daisies for a dramatic result.

With pots, you need to spend extra time conditioning soil and checking moisture levels throughout the year.

Start with a general-purpose liquid feed a month or so after planting and continue throughout summer.

But the smaller the container, the quicker it dries out, limiting the soil’s resources. So deadheading focuses energy on new growth.

POTS AND PLANTERS

Make your way to your local garden centre and you’ll be greeted with hundreds of options when it comes