By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer
The scent of white sage (Salvia apiana) was perfuming my office when I came across an essay on scented plants on Greg Corman's website. (Corman is the owner of Gardening Insights, a horticultural consulting and landscape design firm based in Tucson.) I'd been weeding near my big clump of sage earlier, and the aromatic oils in its leaves had so thoroughly permeated my clothes, it was as if I were still in the garden. So I was in the frame of mind to be receptive to Corman's message:
"Smell is our way of tasting the air, something we otherwise move through with little notice. The scents of plants like Cleveland sage, Arabian jasmine, and fragrant olive are so heady and delicious that they make the air come alive and make us thankful for every breath. These species do their magic well beyond their physical spaces, too, perfuming the air that wafts through windows and doors and adding delight to a garden at night when sight is a poor sense for enjoying the outdoors."
Arabian jasmine (J. sambac)
Follow this link to read the rest of Corman's essay and find his suggestions for scented plants for the desert. (Many of his favorites are also great for Southern California, including sage, sweet olive, star jasmine, and lemon verbena.) Then head to a nursery, and let your nose lead you to something that smells irresistible.
A garden without plants that add the sensual element of smell is incomplete, says Corman, and I fully concur.
Cleveland sage
