We plant certain flowers in our gardens and around our yards to experience their glorious beauty. But one of the most enjoyable aspects of many flowers is the sweet aroma they provide. Here are five fragrant garden flowers, aromatic jewels to be enjoyed both in your garden, and cut and placed in vases to enjoy indoors as well.

Lilac

The Lilac, a spring-flowering shrub, is easily one of the most intensely fragrant flowers on the planet. These pale violet beauties, which depending on the variety also show in blue, pink, yellow, white and red, belong to the olive family, and are hardy and quite easy to care for. These butterfly magnets are also excellent for cutting.

Sweet Alyssum

This easy-to-grow annual grows low to the ground and creates a carpet of color and intoxicating scent. It comes in a variety of colors such as lavender, white, rose, and purple, and when in hanging baskets anchored to your porch, are a treat to your nose when your windows are open.

Lily of the Valley

This flower may be tiny, but its aromatic impact is powerful. This bell-shaped white or pale pink flower does best in shady areas and will brown easily in the direct sun. Lily of the valley makes a terrific ground cover in tight areas, as it can become invasive if left to spread.

Sweet Pea

The Sweet Pea is a climbing plant, with clusters of flowers in a range of vibrant colors, including blue, red, white, pink or lavender. Its scent is bold, keep its blooms for a long time, and with its folded stem and butterfly-looking petals, make beautiful cut flowers.

Gardenia

One of the most popular of the fragrant flowers, the gardenia is a cousin to the coffee family of flowering plants. Its large white or sometimes pale yellow blooms grow on evergreen shrubs with glossy, dark green leaves, and emit a rich, sweet smell.

These highly fragrant flowers are just a sample of the many known for their pleasing perfumes. Enjoy these beautiful blooms outside while sitting on your patio and reading a favorite book, or cut them and bring them inside to enjoy during a romantic dinner, or on your nightstand to help you relax and drift off to sleep. Smell is one of our most powerful senses, known to attach itself to memories. Make some new spring and summer memories as you plant these flowers and treasure their delightful emanations.