It may well be hyperbole to suggest that, as a gardener, my only occasional sense of smell is a tragedy. When I tell people they roll their eyes in disbelief “what nothing?”. Then I tell them I also suffer terribly from hayfever, unconnected but adding extra straws to the poor camel’s back. “And you are a gardener? Isn’t that a rather odd choice of career?”. To my mind, it shows how committed I am, that even without the added dimension of fragrance and that for several months a year I am an itching, snivelling mess, I still want to tend gardens.
However, in the last few weeks, due to a blast of steroids and decreasing pollen production, I have been able to smell somewhat. Quite how efficiently is hard to tell. This ability will undoubtedly swiftly diminish over the coming days/weeks until once more I am bereft. There is no time to delay!
On Wednesday, at The Fit Family’s, I took full advantage of this window of opportunity. And what a wonderful journey it was. The experience was no doubt exacerbated by the aroma enhancing sunshine, something we have been lacking in of late. Lavender, rosemary, nepeta, sweet peas, salvia, mint and thyme were savoured, inducing memories of times past. A little like Marcel Proust’s madeleine but not as posh. I even rubbed the stinking leaves of Vestia foetida for the complete experience.
But, it was this, unnamed bloom that kept drawing me back for another go. Unadulterated essence of rose. Perfect. I will try to remember until the next time I am blessed again, whenever that might be.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Oh, I hope your sense of smell lasts a bit longer – get out there and smell the roses! Oh, yes, I see you already are doing. Jasmine? Lemon verbena?
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Lemon verbena, yes. Jasmine, not yet. I wonder who has one?
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I have, but it may be a bit far.
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😁
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I hope your readers will acknowledge the sacrifice that we, your clients, have to make when you announce that you can sniff! I mean, the first shower in three weeks! And what heating that water did to the gas bill! 🤣
On the other hand, we use less air freshener after you’ve left. 😝
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Swings and roundabouts! 😀
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I can only imagine your meals have been more enjoyable as well! I’m glad you’re making the most of your sense of smell being around 🙂
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That is very strange, because I was just thinking the same. And cooking is such a different experience!
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Gosh – I hope you get to enjoy fragrances for a while longer. When I lost my sense of smell and taste a few a few weeks after Covid back in 2020 I found it oddly depressing. Food didn’t taste of anything, it was hard to know if the milk had gone off and you didn’t know whether you could get away with wearing a sweater for another day or if should really go in the wash.
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Thank you. I’ve got used to asking people to smell things for me, not my clothing, food from the fridge though. 😀
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Fragrance is fortunately not everything enjoyable about gardening. You can enjoy the visual aspects of it better than I can, since I have such difficulty with color and flowery issues. I can grow just about anything, but I am not so proficient with assembling it into a garden. People are surprised by that. I am a nurseryman and arborist and such, but not a landscape designer or gardener.
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You are right. It is only when I can smell again that I realise what I’m missing. Most of the time I’m quite happy as I am.
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