Stocks

Bloom time: Spring.

Grow this native of Europe and Asia for the extraordinary scent that the otherwise unremarkable mauve flowers give off in the evening and overnight. They do this to attract night time pollinators such as moths. Matthiola longipetala (stocks) is another member of the Brassica family, so it's a cousin of the cabbage, believe it or not. Stocks work well in containers, but keep plants amply moist, particularly in hot weather.