Last rose
This weekend, here in Zurich, made me think about several issues. In light of summer-like temperatures it felt like there really is a truth, unconvenient and somewhat imminent, that is shaping our future. Jumping from one temperature record to the next makes you wonder, as does the sound of falling stones in the mountains, that hasn’t even stopped in October (permafrost diminishing, stones are not fixed in the frozen ground anymore).
Thanks to sunny days, a wonderful rose has survived the autumn and was sending waves of a spicy, rich and sweet scent into Saturday’s warm sun. It seemed more intense than in summer. I wonder whether plants such as roses produce more scented molecules, different ones?, under harsh condition?
Talking molecules and truth: There was time to do some reading. I got my free copy of the September/October Adbusters’ edition; some of you might have read it already. I read Clayton Dach’s article with great joy, not because he cited part of our interview that should appear in Adbusters soon….
No, it was because Clayton dared to tell an unconvenient truth. For those interested in the discussions on perfumes, irration by perfumes or public acceptance: you may find his thoughts eye opening. (find out more about adbusters here)
Finally, there was my meeting with Vero, with Samsara …(!!!) and two lavender trials. One which was a somewhat rosy lavender with spicy notes, in the head and middle notes, slightly reminding in cinnamon. The second one, which resulted in some ahhhhh’s once landed under the nose of my tester W., is more herbaceous, with a fir line running from the first head note into the middle note (Balsam fir absolute!). A woody base, with some musky lines beforehand. I will probably go into more detail later, for the time being, Vero and I, we agreed on this one being better. We found the discreet rose without too much spices to match much better. It will now mature further; we agreed that this one does not seem to need to many changes anymore.
We will see….
(pix: The last rose as seen Saturday in the garden, scent: rich, spicy, sweet rose)
October 23rd, 2006 at 12:59 pm
Good to hear of your advances…
My nose is envious, and wishes it was there to partake of the works-in-progress.
What a lovely bloom!
So close up, it nearly resembles a slightly overripe gardenia [also a thing of joy, with its decadent richness].
I ,too,observe the telltale changes in our natural world with awe and concern.
May your day be fragrant, joyful, and productive…
October 23rd, 2006 at 8:40 pm
Thank you, my dear, and I wish you could smell this yellow beauty. Well, it is gone by now I guess, the rain today….
Ah…gardenia…that is another class. This gardenia flower is so rich and forbidden and as you say: Decadent!
I hope your day was sunny and filled with wonderful scents. Hugs back to you
October 24th, 2006 at 9:32 am
Here in Sweden we have had the strangest of falls with summer warmth during most of October and only the last week, the trees have started to change colors. Some of my roses thought it was summer once again, so Graham Thomas (an Austin rose) gave me one single new flower and the Louis Odier had more buds than I could count. I cut some of them, the GT and some dahlias and took inside in hope that the LO buds will open.
All my Angel Trumpets (brugmansia) have kept on flowering, some quite lavishly, some (like the pink and the yellow ones) with one or two flowers. I know of people here that have their spring bulbs sprouting new greens….what will happen to them when spring comes next year???
The rosy lavender sounds delicious Andy, right up my alley;-) Of to blend a nice little “perfume” for a 6yr old girl:-D
Have a lovely day.
Ylva
October 24th, 2006 at 5:19 pm
Dear Ylva
It is exactly the same here, as if we would fall back in early summer again, and so far this seems to stay. My Clementine tree is still outside together with a few orchids, blooming and thriving. Well, I guess, that is at the very end, going to be another month with weather of the century, another one in a series of record braking months…. it makes you wonder.