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Scent Boxes For Your Windows

posted by Annie B. Bond May 23, 2008 6:00 am
Scent Boxes For Your Windows
45 comments

Adapted from Window Boxes, by James Cramer and Dean Johnson (Storey Publishing, 1999).

Fill a window box to overflowing with highly scented plants: Old-fashioned roses, heliotrope, night-scented stock, alyssum, scented geraniums, lilies of the valley, carnations, jasmine, and lavender are favorites. In the evening, these window boxes come into their own. The aroma of heliotrope, nicotiana, or whatever you choose, is carried on a breeze through the window screen to the kitchen, porch, upstairs bedrooms, or wherever you wish.

Here are five wonderfully fragrant ideas for scent boxes to help get you started:

For a LEMONY KITCHEN box, plant sweet basil, mints, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon thyme, and dill.

For a SCENTED NIGHTTIME window box, plant white nicotiana, white or purple heliotrope, moonflowers, sweet alyssum, and night-scented stock.

For an OLD-FASHIONED VICTORIAN scent box, plant lavender, pinks, white petunias, sweet peas, and jasmine.

For a MINT JULEP box, plant peppermint, spearmint, and pineapple mint. (Have a Bourbon rose blooming nearby for good measure!)

For a BAKERY WINDOW box, plant scented geraniums, chocolate cosmos, chocolate mint, and rosemary.

More on Lawns & Gardens (134 articles available)
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45 comments add your comment
Rhiannon Myst

Sounds wonderful....I will have that on my to do list in the future.

Rob Stradmeijer

tnx

Carolyn M.

Sage is another great one to plant... not only does it smell wonderful it also attracts hummingbirds!

Leisa D.

Sweet Alyssum is super easy to grow and I think it smells like honey.
Pineapple sage is another one that smells great & produces beautiful red blooms.

Jane Longhurst

Thanks for the tips,we are about to make a sensory area outside our daughters window. There is a very small balcony and these would be perfect. Our daughter is blind so she will get a lot of pleasure from these perfumes.

Vanessa F.

i recently planted an herb garden and came across tarragon, oh i love the smell and want to plant a whole big area full of it just for the scent. its delightful

Louise L.

What a great idea! We all need ways to keep the quality of our lives up. When I'm upset or need to meditate, I turn to my yard. Giving the plants you love the attention they need works every time.

Chantale Kanazawa

I'm moving overseas soon, but really love this idea!! I'll definetly be making a scent box in the future. Beautiful... "Don't hurry, don't worry. We are only here for a short while, so be sure to stop and smell the flowers." ~ Unknown

Nanna Brenda

Don't forget that May 1st was a day when I was a child, known as May Day. If your going to do a planter for yourself. Teach your child to do something special for an elderly neighbor on May Day deliver the planter window box, and know your home and some older person was enjoying the smell of spring and your child learned about caring and communication with the elderly. I do this every year, now with my grandchilden. One day I hope to have them bring one for my window because I taught them when they was younger.

Jill Vickerman

I love the smell of the white Nicatiana, it is blooming outside my kitchen door. The fragrance comes out in the evening...and wafts through the kitchen

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Adapted from Window Boxes, by James Cramer and Dean Johnson (Storey Publishing, 1999). Copyright (c) 1999 by James Cramer and Dean Johnson. Reprinted by permission of Storey Books.

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