In spring, the hyacinths can almost overpower you, but there are also some more subtle surprises - narcissi, tulips and then the stunning smell of an entire wood or field full of bluebells. And I do tend to go on ad nauseum about lilacs (posts passim).
In summer come some very heavy hitters - some of the lilies are strong enough to take your breath away and I find them rather suffocating. But sweet peas and honeysuckle? I could stand for hours and just breathe them in, to become marinated in their scent.
In autumn, it's the smell of slowly decaying vegetation and of woodsmoke.
*I spent several minutes trying to think of the smell equivalent of "glimpse" but failed. Is there a suitable word? (Cue lots of people saying "Of course there is you fool, it's ......."). It seems that the British vocabulary is well able to deal with words relating to sight and sound but less so to the senses which aren't so well developed in humans.
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We've had a couple of hours of steady rain this morning which served to concentrate the scent of my 'Rambling Rector' into knockout proportions. I've been hanging out the window taking in vast lungfuls :)
Have a great weekend!
PS Must do a post about the origins of the name Pity Me sometime...
A waft?
Smell is extraordinary - a waft of the ancient honeysuckle outside my kitchen can open the doors to a multitude of memories, some that I would rather forget. Sweet williams transport me back to childhood as does wild garlic and bluebells. At the moment there is a wonderful waft of cedar wood around the garden from the yet to be constructed greenhouse!
How about 'whiff' as compared to 'glimpse'?
An inhalation? I enjoyed sweet peas and buddleia at the allotment today :)
Yes I agree with Arabella it has to be a waft if comparing to a glimpse. However at this time of year it's a bit more than a waft, more like a heady cocktail. More intoxicating than I can remember any alcoholic beverage having.
Sweet Peas and Honeysuckle are amazing, I love both and can't wait for my traditional Sweet Peas to begin flowering. Last year I thoroughly enjoyed picking sweet peas every few days and having a nice fresh vase!
Scent - so important, although as I have a really keen sense of smell, some like hyacinths is too much for me.
Standing under wisteria - bliss.
love the thought of you being marinated in a sweetpea and honeysuckle bath :)
K
Ah yes, waft - thank you, Arabella. Precisely the word I was looking for. I knew that would happen. I'll blame it on a 'senior moment'. {embarrassed smilie}
Sitting here typing this with the scent of sweetpeas filling the kitchen, first bunch picked this year! Scent is so evocative and, rather curiously, linked with our sense of taste. The jasmine will be flowering in the next day or so, now that really packs a kknockout fragrance. I still love scented roses, lavender and clover!
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