Nothing makes me happier than being surrounded by wonderful scents. And one of the best ways to do it is by tending a garden. After several years of growing vegetables in containers, I figured that starting a backyard vegetable garden was the natural next step. I put my thoughts out into the universe, and amazingly enough, my guys made the garden a reality. Mothers’ Day found them preparing a 10 x 10 plot of land, tilling the soil, digging holes for the seedlings, and installing a deer-proof fence. With the preliminary work done, I joined in and planted my crops, adding a moderate sprinkling of dehydrated manure (which, thankfully, has very little scent!)
Now that my garden’s growing – the corn was knee-high by the 4th of July – so are the weeds. Which means the tending is very hands-on, dirt-under-the-fingernails (ok, I do wear gardening gloves!) maintenance that keeps your nose close to the soil and all the glorious earthy & green smells. Many of these scents can be enjoyed year round, thanks to the talented perfumers who have recreated them.
Though spindly, the celery plants provide the first waft of scent when you approach my garden, making it reminiscent of a green salad. Comme des Garcon Calamus and L’Artisan Dzongkha bring the celery note to skin scent. Aftelier Celery Seed Essence is used by chef’s to enhance the flavors of food.
Tomato leaves are one of my favorite green herbal scents. It’s distinctively strong, and the oils linger on your skin. Christopher Brosius has bottled tomato leaf in CB I Hate Perfume Memory of Kindness and In the Summer Kitchen.
Digging the dirt to remove pesky weeds often involves unearthing worms that frantically slither & squirm deep into the cool soil. Demeter Dirt, and CB I Hate Perfume Black March are wearable earthiness.
Pepper plants bring to mind the scents of Molton Brown Black Pepper Air Candelas, L’Artisan Poivre Piquant, and Lorenzo Villoresi Piper Nigrum.
The garden’s not complete without a few herbs, so I included two of my favorites in my garden – mint and basil. I also wear them year-round in Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca, Jo Malone Fresh Mint Leaf & Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne, and Marc Jacobs Basil.
Do you have a favorite herb or vegetable in your garden? What vegetal scents do you enjoy wearing? Feel free to add your thoughts, talk about your garden, discuss your favorite green scents. Oh, and please let us know how you like our new website format, too!