Scents and sensibility Part 2
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If you want to make a lasting impression with your gift of flowers, it’s a good idea to follow your nose. Scent is the oldest and most primitive of the senses, directly and inextricably connected to memory in the most basic part of the brain. This explains why the smell of gardenias instantly transports you to your favorite aunt’s house (she always had one or two floating in a bowl) or why a whiff of lavender zips you to that lovely little hotel in Provence. Make a few memories of your own with these beauties:
Lilies: Say “lily” and you’ve said a mouthful. These heady blooms may be trumpet- or star-shaped, demurely scented or knock-out powerful, and appear in a range of colors from purest white to rather lurid purple. In this broad field, a serious standout is the big, white Casablanca. A luscious diva of a lily, it sports star-shaped, hand-span blossoms and while it looks chaste, it packs a positively lascivious perfume. Musky and deep with a whiff of dead-ripe plum, it conjures odalisques and opium dreams. These blooms make a perfect boudoir bouquet – on their own or paired with something suggestive [note: like a Black Magic rose? Another dark, voluptuous bloom? Voluptuous peonies or slinky, sultry, long-legged French tulips – or cleaned up a bit with early spring’s blooming branches! ] they define sultry.
Magnolias: Found among the fossil remains of prehuman history, these enormous blooms are the oldest living flower on earth. The giant alabaster flowers grow quite slowly, so it is unusual to find them in arrangements. More often the glossy, dark-green leaves are used, a florist’s favorite for their dramatic color and shine. The blooms themselves are pungently scented, delivering a powerful wallop of citrus and honey; with these, a single blossom will fill the largest of rooms. But this heady southern belle is only one of many forms of this species. We’ll reveal more about other members of this fragrant family in a later posting.
