Garden Mignonette – Seeds (Reseda odorata)

The Garden Mignonette is a charming old-fashioned flower grown not for showy blooms but for its sweet, clove-like fragrance that fills the summer garden. Its delicate greenish-cream flowers may be modest in appearance, but they are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and pollinators. A favorite for cottage gardens and scented corners, Garden Mignonette has been cherished for centuries as a fragrance plant.

What Makes It Special

• Grown primarily for its intensely sweet fragrance

• A heritage cottage-garden favorite

• Long-lasting cut flower for fragrant indoor arrangements

• Pollinator-friendly, attracting bees and butterflies

Key Features

• Botanical name: Reseda odorata

• Common name: Garden Mignonette

• Seed count: Approx. seeds per pack

• Height/Spread: 30–60 cm tall, 20–30 cm spread

• Position: Full sun to light shade; prefers well-drained soil

• Flowering period: Summer (June–September)

Ideal For

• Scented cottage gardens

• Flower borders and edges

• Cut flower arrangements

• Wildlife-friendly planting

Sowing Instructions

1. When to sow: March–May outdoors directly into the soil, or August–September for overwintering

2. How to sow:

   • Sow thinly in drills 0.5 cm deep in prepared soil

   • Thin seedlings to 20 cm apart once established

3. Care:

   • Prefers poor to moderately fertile soil (too rich reduces fragrance)

   • Water moderately and avoid overfeeding