Not Roses: The Fresh-Smelling Flowers In The Clematis Family To Add To Your Garden

When you're thinking about the most fragrant perennials to add to a garden, roses are often a top choice. After all, what other flower has a scent sweet enough to inspire a famous Shakespearean adage. However, while roses can be an excellent addition to create a garden that smells as good as it looks, it's not your only option. For example, you could incorporate flowers from the Clematis genus that pair beautiful blooms with a show-stopping fragrance — specifically, 'Fair Rosamond' clematis (Clematis 'Fair Rosamond) and the mountain or anemone clematis (Clematis montana).

The 'Fair Rosamond' clematis blooms throughout the summer with fragrant white flowers while the mountain clematis blooms in the spring and summer with flowers in a range of colors, from white to pink and red. And the best part? Because they're closely related, both clematis varieties have similar needs, and several of their hardiness zones overlap — meaning, you can grow them together in your garden.

Among the things to know about these clematis varieties before planting is that 'Fair Rosamond' and mountain clematis have similar sunlight and soil needs, with the biggest difference being their USDA growing zones. (Learn about hardiness zones and how to know which one you're in.) 'Fair Rosamond' is the more cold-hardy of the two, growing in zones 4 to 9, while mountain clematis is better-suited for zones 6 to 9.

Both plants prefer full sun to partial shade, while relief from the afternoon sunlight can be helpful to their growth. To accommodate this, consider growing them in an east-facing location, but keep in mind that clematis plants, in general, are highly adaptable. (They're companion plants, after all.)

As for watering requirements, 'Fair Rosamond' and mountain clematis prefer moist soil. Because of this, it should be noted that while you can grow clematis in containers, similar to roses, you'll want to ensure they aren't left to dry out, which could impede those fragrant flowers from reaching their full potential. Regardless, though, if in containers or the ground, soil must be well-drained. In a container, this means drainage holes. For soil type, clay, loam, and sand are all suitable. 

As flowering vines, both 'Fair Rosamond' and mountain clematis can be trained to climb on your support structure of choice. In fact, clematis plants are known to climb up to 10 feet. (Check out easy-to-grow vines that are perfect for a balcony or patio.)