Fragrant Orchid dosen't equal "smells good"

[estación seca]

I'm always on the lookout for things I can plant in the landscape with fragrant flowers. I came across a South American shrub, Aloysia virgata, or almond verbena, a relative of lemon verbena. I read all sorts of glowing reviews, and it should handle my hot weather just fine. I bought one and moved it up to a 1-gallon pot. It flowered. It does, indeed, have a powerful, sweet, somewhat almond scent, but to me it is overwhelmingly chemical, like suffocating bathroom cleaner mixed with dryer antistatic sheets.