Add some color and some scent to your patio
Nothing transforms a plain patio into a little slice of paradise faster than plants that smell as good as they look. Fragrant foliage adds an instant “spa‑day outside” vibe to your outdoor space, great for masking city smells and greeting guests with a gentle waft of perfume, not to mention pretty spring colors. The best part? Many flowers pull double duty by luring pollinators, repelling pests or providing cut stems for bouquets you can display inside.
When picking patio plants, think about where the scent will hit you: Place pots near seating, flank the door you always use or train vines up railings so every breeze carries their fragrance. Choose a mix of bloom times too — that way something is always perfuming the air from early spring through fall happy hour.
In this article: The Sill Frost Proof Gardenia, Cricket’s Nursery 1 Gal. Confederate Jasmine and Daylily Nursery Lantana Camara Flowers
Below you’ll find a lineup of sweet‑smelling all‑stars — from jasmine that grows up a trellis to pineapple‑scented sage that hummingbirds can’t resist. Pop a few into pretty containers, add comfy chairs and a cold drink, and your patio becomes your new go‑to hangout.
Get these colorful, fragrant potted patio plants for spring
Bred to withstand chilly temperatures, this gardenia delivers glossy evergreen foliage and creamy, citrus‑scented blooms even on cooler patios, so shade is no problem. It ships in a nursery pot ready for your favorite container and tops out around 3 feet.
Cricket’s Nursery 1 Gal. Confederate Jasmine
Fast‑growing vines quickly cover a trellis or railing in shiny leaves and white pinwheel flowers that release a sweet-smelling evening perfume. Once established, jasmine is drought‑tolerant and evergreen in warm zones, giving you a living, fragrant screen all season long.
Daylily Nursery Lantana Camara Flowers
These 4‑inch pots explode into mounds of color‑shifting blooms that smell faintly of citrus and naturally repel mosquitoes. Hummingbirds and butterflies love the nectar, while you enjoy months of low‑maintenance flowers.
Bonnie Plants Lavender, 19.3 oz., Live Plant
Classic English lavender arrives ready to scent your patio with its soothing herbal notes. Trim the stems for sachets or cocktails — regular harvest keeps the plant tidy and encourages fresh purple blooms all summer long.
Heirloom Roses 15″ White Rose Live Plant in Grower Pot
A compact shrub rose bred for container life, this plant produces clusters of snowy, old‑fashioned blossoms with a light tea fragrance. Its disease‑resistant foliage stays glossy, while continuous blooms give you luxurious flowers without needing yard space.
Clovers Garden Citronella Plants
These citrosa geraniums release a lemony scent when brushed, helping keep biting bugs at bay. Tuck the two 4‑inch pots near seating — the deeply cut foliage and tiny lilac blooms add texture to your space too.
FREEplantShippingCo White Candytuft Snow Cone Starter Plant White Flowers
This perennial forms a tidy, 8‑inch cone smothered in honey‑scented white flowers each spring, perfect for edging patio planters where its sweet aroma drifts at nose level — plus the evergreen foliage stays neat even when the blooms fade.
CloversGardenCenter Pineapple Sage
Crush a leaf and you’ll swear you opened a fresh pineapple. These herb plants grow into 3‑foot bushes topped with scarlet flowers beloved by hummingbirds. Cut the foliage for fruity teas or let the aroma naturally scent your outdoor dining area.
BKindSoapSucculents Moonflower Plant
This fast‑climbing vine’s white flowers unfurl at dusk and perfume the night air — train it up a trellis or pergola for nocturnal blooms that glow under patio lights and attract nighttime pollinators like moths.
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