Heaven scent

As I walk round RHS Garden Harlow Carr, it’s not just the bright colours of the flowers and trees that capture my attention, it’s also the beautiful aromas that often accompany them. A beautiful smell can transport you back in time. For me, the smell of bluebells instantly returns me to my childhood, taking walks with my mum in the woodland near my house. For many, the smell of freshly cut grass is a favourite.

Although many beautiful scents are provided by nature, as a human race we have learnt to combine various ingredients to create even more alluring fragrances which we now know as perfumes. The word perfume derives from the Latin word “per fumus” which means “through smoke”, and originated when early civilisations began burning sweet herbs and incense as part of their ceremonial practices.

The first people to make perfumes were the ancient Egyptians. They were then further cultivated by the Romans, Persians and Arabs. The Egyptians believed that perfume should travel with the spirit on the journey to the heavens. It is said that on the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb, the fragrances could still be detected 3,300 years after his death.

In 2005, an archaeological team in Cyprus discovered the site of an ancient perfume factory dating back to the Bronze Age, suggesting that perfume was in demand and produced on a large scale 4,000 years ago.

Islamic cultures contributed significantly to the modification of western perfumes. They introduced the extraction of fragrances through stem distillation. As traders, Islamic cultures had access to new plants and spices, many of which they managed to cultivate and grow outside of their native climates, such as various Citrus and Jasmine which come from south east Asia and still continue to be used today.

The Greeks were believed to be the first to produce a liquid perfume, although theirs would have consisted of heavy oils and fragrant powders. Until the discovery of extracting oils from flowers by an Arabian chemist, perfumes were usually made by crushing herbs and oils. He did experiment with roses and actually created 'rose water'. This perfume had a very light and delicate smell, and was an instant hit.

In the 14th century the Hungarians were the first to introduce modern perfumery in Europe. It then flourished in renaissance Italy. By the 1600s it had made its way to France by the way of Queen Catherine de’ Medici’s personal perfumer, Rene le Florentin. The perfumes were so precious to the Queen that Rene's laboratory was connected with her apartments by a secret passageway so that no formulas could be stolen en route.

Today’s perfume still uses a wide range of the plant life you may see around the garden: the needles of the pine are often used, together with herbs like mint, thyme and sage.

Exotic plants are important too such as jasmine and ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) which provide a floral, oriental scent found in the popular Chanel No5. Vanilla (vanilla planifolia) is also a popular source of odour for perfumes.

So next time you’re applying a splash of perfume, take a moment to appreciate the history of what goes into that little bottle.

Jobs for the Week

* If the hot weather continues, raise the height of the mowing blades to reduced brown scorched patches.

* Cut back any perennial plants such as astrantia and hardy geraniums that have finished flowering to a leaf node. Give them a liquid booster feed and they may produce another flower of two.

* Continue to feed tomatoes, aubergines and cucumbers to boost fruit production.

* Keep cutting sweet peas so they continue to flower for you - filling the house with their delicate perfume.

With thanks to Katy Trohear, Horticulturist at RHS Garden Harlow Carr

DIARY DATES

RHS Summer Advisory Service RHS members can get free face-to-face gardening advice from an RHS advisor from 11am - 3pm on the first Saturday of each month and every Monday from 1pm - 3.30pm from July to September. Come to our desk in the entrance conservatory with your questions. Normal garden admission.

Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 September: The Autumn Plant Festival

Celebrate the best of autumn gardening at this weekend festival with a Plant Heritage Plant Fair and a Tender Plant Show. Members of the RHS Tender Ornamental Plant Committee and RHS Fruit & Vegetable Committee will give talks and demonstrations and answer your gardening queries. There will be lots of plants for sale with information and advice for autumn and winter gardening. Normal garden admission. Until 4 September: Rocket Science Summer Family Fun The countdown is on to six weeks of summer fun at RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Families can embark on an out-of-this-world adventure this summer in Harrogate as the northernmost RHS Garden goes intergalactic. Youngsters can take part in their very own space mission to Mars on a space-themed garden trail, enjoy stratospheric storytelling with the Garden Detectives, create cosmic crafts, and discover how our feathered friends have influenced flight and space exploration during spectacular birds-of-prey flying displays. Normal garden admission.

Katy Trohear, Horticulturist at RHS Garden Harlow Carr