Indoor Eden: Tulips, Hot House Flowers & Intoxicating Floral Fragrance . . .

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset Indoor Eden: Moth Orchid Beside the Bedroom Window (Phalaenopsis)

I truly love all four seasons, and I do find winter to be especially beautiful in New England.  However, enough is enough. It’s been a particularly cold March thus far, and I am more than ready for spring.

It’s nice to get a bit of a break from weeding and maintenance, but there are more than a few things that I miss about my garden during the cold, dark months. The absence of light and color is tough, but it’s the dry air and lack of natural fragrances that I find most difficult to bear. Humidifiers help to add moisture to my home and of course shopping trips to the florist for fresh-cut flowers and new indoor plants also help to brighten the monochrome palette of the season. But what about earthy fragrance? Remember the scent of damp moss, warm pine needles and the sweet, spicy odor of springtime blossoms scattered upon the walkway? Remember the heavenly aroma of hyacinth, the silken caress of perfumed peony petals and the dewy brush of fragrant, freshly-mown grass against bare ankles?

Hyachinth_Blossoms_michaela_medina_harlow_thegardenersedeen.com_no_use_without_permission Fresh from the Florist: Heavenly, Scented Hyacinth 

The_Scent_of_Springtime_michaela_medina_harlow_thegardenerseden.com Pale Violet Tulips on the Dressing Table 

Processed with VSCOcam Golden Morning Light Warms the Ice-Clad Viburnum and Paper Birch Trees

pale_violet_tulips_copyright_2014_michaela_medina_harlow_thegardenerseden.com Weekly Ritual: Fresh Flowers from the Florist

I am very much looking forward to the awakening of springtime senses. But for now —while we patiently wait for the thaw— there are lotions, potions and bottled fragrances. A very generous friend recently sent me a surprise box containing delights from San Francisco perfumer, Ineke. Her ‘Floral Curiosities’ collection of fragrances came packaged in a beautiful ‘Scent Library‘ book. I was immediately smitten with the botanical theme, but when I spritzed on the amazingly accurate floral fragrances? Swoon! I felt as if I’d been transported to a misty, June morning in the garden. I adore ‘Scarlet Larkspur’ and ‘Poet’s Jasmine’, but so far, ‘Sweet William’ (slightly spicy), and ‘Briar Rose’ (wild and rambling with subtle hints of green apple), are my favorites. And then there was a bottle of ‘Hot House Flower’, an intoxicating, feminine, gardenia number not included in the ‘Scent Library’. Like a trip to a steamy, jungle paradise, it’s warm, exotic and deliciously heady. Thank you, dear friend!

Ineke_Scent_Library_.Floral_Curiosities_michaela_medina_harlow_thegardenerseden.comJPG Favorite Gift of Fragrance: Ineke ‘Floral Curiosities’ Scent Library {Miniature Book with ‘Scent’ Library Cards, Includes Samples of the Following Floral Fragrances: Sweet William, Scarlet Larkspur, Briar Rose, Poet’s Jasmine and Angel’s Trumpet}, and Botanist’s Travel Sprays {Each Scent Bound in a Beautiful ‘Book’ Box}

I’m also mad for ‘Moss‘, a silken hand & body cream from K. Hall Designs. With 5% shea butter, it’s soft and silky but non-greasy. I love to share this cream with my gardening friends in wintertime. The fragrance reminds me of a forest floor; earthy, fern-filled and slightly musky. Perfect for those of us struggling through the last days of winter …Pining for the verdant gardens of springtime.

K.Hall_Designs_Moss_Hand_and_Body_Cream_c_michaela_thegardenerseden.com My Wintertime Favorite: Moss Hand & Body Cream by K. Hall Designs

Products mentioned and reviewed in this post are unpaid, and purely based upon the personal opinions and preferences of this author. No promotional product or compensation was received from any source.

Photography & Text â“’  Michaela Medina Harlow/The Gardener’s Eden. All photographs, artwork, articles and content on this site (with noted exceptions), are the original, copyrighted property of Michaela Medina Harlow and/or The Gardener’s Eden and may not be reposted, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent. Contact information is in the left side bar. Please do not take my photographs without permission. Thank you!

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2 Replies to “Indoor Eden: Tulips, Hot House Flowers & Intoxicating Floral Fragrance . . .”

  1. lady

    oh I need to sample this. I never buy perfumes as they are made mostly of chemicals and alcohols and I only wear pure essential oils, beautiful blends I make myself, but you are a gardener and your nose is well tuned, and if you loved these, then I may have to try them. I love your blog by the way.

  2. Michaela

    It sounds like you are very skilled at the art of perfume oils. These are, in my opinion, very fine products. However, they are in no way 100% natural or organically produced. The INeke fragrances were a wonderful gift and I’m certainly a new fan. A sampler box is quite inexpensive and seems a fun, low-risk way to try her scents. If you do indulge, I hope you will enjoy! x M

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