HAVE you noticed how evocative smells can be?

The smell of a favourite aftershave or perfume can instantly bring the wearer to mind. The smell of certain plants too can evoke strong memories. My favourite smell – and one which reminds me instantly of my grandad Jack and his allotment in Yorkshire – is the sweet pea.

A delicate flower which comes in a rainbow of colours and has the most beautiful scent.

This flowering climber can be grown up pea sticks or cane wigwams and so is perfect whether you have a garden, patio or balcony, creating a very on-trend cottage garden feel.

March is the perfect time to sow sweet pea seeds outdoors, or buy young plants from the likes of Fryer’s. By mid-summer you will have sweet pea flowers which will continue to flower for many weeks (with a spot of dead heading to help prolong the flowering time).

The heady smell of roses too, is one well remembered from last summer’s blooms (if not from Valentine’s Day – my hints were not taken again!).

Although roses are not yet in bloom, now is the time to start thinking about planting them.

When I asked a number of my friends, ages ranging from 35 to early 40s, if they buy or even know what bare root roses are, I received blank looks and yet when I made similar enquiries of the slightly older generation, namely the grandparents, they were on the whole, fully aware of what they were and indeed were buying them by the dozen.

For the uninitiated, bare root roses look like twigs with roots. They are dormant rose bushes which are available, and can be planted, from November through to the end of March. Bare root roses are easier to plant as they are less prickly and so are easier to handle. They usually come in a few pounds cheaper too.

Plant bare root rose in March and by the summer you will have a garden full of heady blooms.

‘Smell, look, touch and taste your way around the garden’

For those struggling to think of the perfect Mother’s Day gift, the rose ‘my lovely mum’ or ‘mum in a million’ are the perfect choices – although I would buy the potted version of these roses as aesthetically, they look better than dormant twigs!

Smell isn’t the only sense that is awakened at this time of year. Colour is starting to sprout everywhere in the form of daffodils and primrose, a sight to behold.

Those daffodil bulbs planted late last year are now starting to flower. If you didn’t get around to planting bulbs, then cheat. There are some beautiful containers full of spring bulbs such as Tete a Tete to choose from. Daffodils look even more beautiful when primrose are underplanted among them. Varieties such as primula veris and vulgaris otherwise known as cowslip primrose or English primrose, and the native primrose are the perfect buy this month.

The pale-yellow flower of the native primrose compliments the vivid yellow of the daffodil.

Add some contrast to the yellows with campanula addenda, a plant with gorgeous, star-shaped petals of violet/blue and white centres.

Seasonal perennials too are an easy way to add more variety, texture and colour. Think geranium, astrantia and oriental poppy. Most Perennials live for two years or more and make an ideal focal point to garden borders.

The colourful petals and scents from these early spring flowers also provide a valuable source of nectar for awakening insects such as bees. Then there’s touch. Adding texture to a garden, patio or balcony can create focus and interest.

Buxus is popular as a formal hedge plant and looks stunning in containers or clipped into shapes. Ferns and ornamental grasses give a more relaxed feel and can provide an eye-catching juxtaposition to the colourful perennials.

Finally taste...March is the perfect time to buy and plant herbs. Herbs can be grown in the smallest of spaces, such as a window box or container (and you could save a small fortune if you plant/grow your own instead of buying fresh herbs from a supermarkets).

So, awaken your senses this month. Smell, look, touch and taste your way around the garden and then sit back and listen to the compliments from family, friends and neighbours.