REPLY: [pbs] Fragrances that Surprise--TOW

johngrimshaw@tiscali.co.uk johngrimshaw@tiscali.co.uk
Wed, 14 Apr 2004 12:10:56 PDT
Dave Karn wrote:
>
....and,
> while I find most lily fragrance wonderful on a warm afternoon, true, it
can
> be overwhelming if from a large bouquet in a closed room.

I find it overwhelming in the open garden - in a room or a greenhouse it is
intolerable.


>
> However, I must say that I find your dislike of the fragrance of hyacinth
to
> be unusually severe.  To my nose, the fragrance of hyacinth represents the
> very essence of Spring!!  I couldn't have a garden without waves of
hyacinth.  I
> will often sit near them just to inhale deeply of that fragrance
distilling
> itself on the edying currents of air.  I do have to say, however, get the
> fragrance when the flowers are fresh because, like a good brie when
mature, the odor
> deterioates to intolerable as the flowers fade.

I restrained myself on the subject of hyacinth odour. I appreciate hyacinths
in the garden display, and indeed have planted quite a few here at
Colesbourne, but just walking along the path, nose nearly 6 feet above them,
the smell was only too apparent.

Fortunately, in cheese, the stronger and worse the smell, the better the
flavour usually is. Forget the pussy-footed brie, try some of the red-rinded
Belgian ones, with what can only be called (politely) a faecal odour, but
heavenly flavour! There is an English one called Stinking Bishop, much the
same.

I must try Narcissus 'Fragrant Rose' - sounds delightful. There is a
snowdrop, G. plicatus 'Ispahan' that smells of old roses, rather
delightfully. For snowdrop fragrance 'S. Arnott' is hard to beat; on a warm
February day the big patch here of some10,000 flowering plants wafts the
perfume all around - a lovely heather honey scent.

John Grimshaw






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