What's that smell? Spring is nearly here

16:40 12th January 2009

Winter will soon turn to spring and gardeners will therefore be making their plans for the coming year.

With now being a good time to start preparing spring pots in the greenhouse, gardening expert Stephen Lacey has told Daily Telegraph readers how a careful selection can lead to a garden full of fragrant treats.

A choice of strong-smelling plants will help tantalise and tease the senses, and varieties such as Mahonia viburnum, sarcococca, daphne and wintersweet are all worth considering, according to Mr Lacey.

With a "potent cocktail" of scented species surrounding his own front gate, the garden expert clearly rates plants that not only look good, but smell good too.

Although some gardeners tend to focus on aesthetics when working in the greenhouse and garden, some realise the benefits of offering something of beauty for the nostrils as well as the eyes.

A garden centre in Missouri, US, will soon host an exhibition dedicated to scented plants.

Visitors to the huge glasshouse will be given a bag of coffee beans to sniff as they wander around, allowing them to "cleanse the palate" between plants.