Making Sense of Scents
Scents trigger memory. I love the smell of fresh cut hay. On evening walks near my home I am doused in this scent of summer. When the sweet smelling aroma reaches my nose my mind retrieves a recollection of childhood. Before my eyes spot the hay mounds, the smell transports me to youthful days playing in the barn. Time travel is possible!
I recently read an article about designing your garden around fragrance. Not only is a flower’s scent enjoyable, but it serves a specific purpose. Plants give off scents to attract pollinators such as bees. This strengthens the growing environment of the garden. Once the flower is pollinated the scent lessens because it is unnecessary to attract more pollinators. This makes me wonder how people can be pollinators in the garden of life.
Many hybrid flowers have little fragrance. Bred for vibrant colors and lasting blooms, their appearance becomes more important than their sweet aroma. I find this interesting. The old fashion roses along my house, planted several generations ago, are very fragrant. The petals keep their pungent scent even after drying. Perhaps that is why heirloom flowers and vegetables are being sought after once again.
As with hybrid flowers, some people have lost their fragrance. Others like my heirloom roses get sweeter with age.
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