Oriental lilies - lots of them!

I have a scented area and this is what's there (some perennial and some not):
Lilac
Peony
Oriental Lilies
Phlox
Dianthus
Saponaria (soapwort - supposed to be really scented, but i don't always get it)
Hyacinths for spring
Matthiola (Night Scented Stocks - annuals, but the scent is incredible!)
Heliotrope
Nemesia, sometimes (some are more fragrant than others)

Do you have a scanner? You could take pictures with a regular camera and scan them into your computer. :)

Totally agree, Marcia. Not something you want to let get out of control, but can I suggest (very hesitantly) lily of the valley? It really is one of my favorite flowers and the fragrance is so pretty. I've been tinkering with getting some of the pink variety but I won't be able to keep up with a monster like that any more. Maybe if you put it into tubs and sink the tubs into the ground?

A shrub that I love the fragrance of is Golden currant. Mine is just budding out and should be blooming in a couple of weeks.

Can't think of any others off hand but I know there will be lots of suggestions.

Shauna

Honeysuckle! Climber, semi-herbaceous, what dies back grows back fast. Make sure you select a hardy one, there are different kinds.

You'd be lucky to overwinter lavender. If you venture into roses, don't start with climbers. They are twice as likely to be exposed to the elements and die over the winter, unless you take them down and that's a pain in the butt.

That said, I would be really interested in knowing whether one of the hardiest tall Alba roses such as "Maxima" could be grown tall enough to cover an arbour in our zone. I almost want to try it myself. Albas are a hardier group of Old Garden Roses, stinky to high heaven and tough and sturdy, but they only bloom once. Here, check out Maxima at Helpmefind.com and I will think about it some more.

I ordered some Madame Plantier Alba roses for this spring, which are similar but questionably hardy, but I am a sucker for the pink buds and white pompom flowers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alba Maxima at HMF

If you are looking for shrubs my favourites for scented are lilacs' and mock orange. I have both planted by the front door so that as you come and go you get to walk out to that wonderful scent. Someone on here mentioned that they grow a variety of Daphne if I'm remembering correctly. That would be a great woody perennial if it will grow for you. Who ever is growing it could you mention what variety and how well it is doing for you? I'd like to plant it if it will grow in our zones.

Along with the flowers that release their scent so that you can smell them from a distance, what about aromatic plants that you have to touch to release their scent? This would include all your herbs which gives you a very large array of different smells and textures. Plus don't forget Nicotiana which releases it's scent at night.

Syreeta

For climbing roses I would suggest John Cabot. It is a vigorous Explorer that gets quite tall in my yard. My 16 year old John Cabot was 6-7 ft tall last year. Mine is always covered in dark pink blooms. Each flower has a faint smell, but when it is covered in flowers.....what can I say. I never take mine down for the winter. I just pile snow on it. I planted another one last spring and it is about 4 ft now.I would imagine that it should get almost as tall as my other one. The base of my older one is about 5 ft wide or more when leafed out. I also have John Davies, but wouldn't suggest it for an arbour. Mine must be about 5 yrs old and last year finally reached about 5 ft tall. It have mine planted in my front yard with a black obelisk. I much perfer the flowers and smell of this one though.
Another favorite of mine is little leaf lilac. It has a very long blooming time and grows to about 5 ft tall.
Perenials, Phlox and Dianthisis, Saponaria (Soapwort) and Peonies all have nice scents. Some of the iris' and daylilies smell too.
You can also buy plants with foilage that smells. Salvia nemorosa (or blue sage)has a nice smell. I have also sage in white and a pinkish/purple . Although I do perfer the blue. Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) also smells quite nice when you brush the leaves. Artemisia (silver mound) leaves smell and look great with green leaved plants.
Sugar Daddy Petunias are my favorite smelling annual. Pansies and Evening Stocks smell wonderful too.
I hope we all have given you some ideas for your scent garden.
Shelley

Syreeta's right about Mock Orange. I have one and it smells gorgeous. The big problem with most of these sweet smelling shrubs is that they only have a limited bloom period. But mixing them with repeating smelly perennials and annuals will give you the nice effect you're after.

BTW if you get the right variety, some nicotiana are scented during the day. And Lily of the Valley does best in shade, if you have any of that. I find it easy to control with lawn edging.

Oh and another smell I can't get enough of is Sweet Woodruff, it's a starry leafed groundcover with tiny white flowers. It's a bit spreading too but not bad. Prefers part shade. The leaves smell like fresh sweet straw when touched. It's not an overpowering scent but it is very clean and fresh if that makes sense.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. Very helpful. It will be a while before the area is ready for planting, but now I can start determining what I want where (and working on the budget... ;-)

Oh, DH came home with a Gailardia - Fanfare yesterday (He sure likes to spoil me with plants in the spring!!) and he's talking about taking me to the big nursery near here (Parkland N & GC) to do some tree shopping (We had to cut down two trees last year (old poplar and a spruce in a terrible location), and another two (dying spruce) will be coming out this year. :-( I hate cutting down trees so DH says I can go pick out a couple new ones on his next days off if I like. (I think I'll go look for some other plants...but I'm thinking I leave the trees till next year just so I can figure out the new dynamics of the yard once the fence is in, etc.)