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Scent trail map

Charity no. 286513. Registered in England. Printed on FSC certified stock using vegetable inks.

Captivatingscents

25 Mar–31 Oct 2016Scent trail & mapChelsea Physic Garden

66 Royal Hospital Road London SW3 4HSTel. 020 7352 5646 www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk

fresh floral fœtid

Thursday Supper TalksOur thought-provoking lecture series during July and August will feature a broad range of experts discussing various aspects of scent. Tickets are £17. There is also the opportunity to enjoy supper at the Tangerine Dream Café at £19. (Pre-booking required. Book by calling the Café on 020 7349 6464)

7 Jul A Century of Scents with Lizzie Ostrum14 Jul Dangers & Delights... with Dr Mark Jenner21 Jul The Wonderful World of Rose Fragrances with David Austin Roses28 Jul The Fantastical World of Vegetal Scent with Richard Mabey 4 Aug Scented Decadence with author Dr Christine Bradstreet11 Aug Intoxicating Scent Soirée (to be announced)18 Aug A Society Guided by Scent with University College London25 Aug Intoxicating Scent Soirée (to be announced)

Walks, Talks & Workshops23 Jun From Flower to Flacon with Liz Earle29 Jul ROSA ROSA: A Day with the Queen of Flowers with Lizzie Ostrum 6 Sep Grow Your Own Scented Garden with florist Rachel Petheram27 Oct Perfumery with The Organic Pharmacy

Prebooking is required. For more information & to book: call 020 7349 6458/6471 or email reception@chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk

For the full 2016 programme of Walks, Talks & Workshops, Family Activity Days or to support the Garden through becoming a Friend, please see the website.

Captivating events

Scents of the Night

Amphi-theatre

Healing Scents

Sweet Pea Avenue

AbhorrentArbour

Exotic Scents

Dicotyledon Order Beds

Monocotyledon Order Beds

The Garden of Medicinal Plants

CoolFernery

History Beds

Atlantic IslandsBorder

World Woodland

Garden

wc

Garden of Useful Plants

Garden of Edible Plants

Fortune’s Tank Pond

wc

Statue of Sir HansSloane

History Beds

British Native Plants

Pond Rockery

Café

PoisonousPlants Bed

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The power of scents is often underappreciated. How often has a particular smell whisked you back to a moment, person or place in your life? Smells are not only evocative but give us information

as to whether something is edible or off, alluring or repulsive. They are extremely divisive, too. A delicious odour to some is repellent to others.

Humans have valued scent since the earliest civilisations. The people of Mesopotamia were the first to ‘capture’ scent for their own means using plant oils in religious ceremonies or for perfume.

The means of capturing scents, as you will discover on this trail, have evolved radically over the last 5,000 years, but why do plants create them in the first place? The answers to this are many-fold. Some floral or foetid scents lure in pollinators such as bees or flies respectively, while other smells drive away predators. Whatever the evolutionary reasons for these odours, humans strive to capture the best for ourown uses. This has led to the development of an enormous worldwide industry growing plants for their scent-yielding flowers, seeds, leaves or bark. Follow the trail and discover the secrets of scents…

© Jonathan Buckley

Captivating scents:fresh floral fœtid

Scent trail

Sweet Pea AvenueThis display of over twenty sweet pea cultivars highlights both their breeding history and the most fragrant forms. The beds dedicated to Philip Miller’s plant introductions are a fitting location as he was among the first British gardeners to grown them.

1. Heliotrope ‘Marine’Commonly known as Cherry Pie this tender perennial heliotrope emanates a unique scent with musky, sweet and sour cherry notes. It’s both a popular bedding plant and source of a scent compound used in perfumery.

Healing ScentsSeveral woody species in this Australian planting carry essential oils in their foliage. Along with their pleasant scent these oils are often antibacterial and antimicrobial meaning they have potential healing benefits.

2. Houttuynia cordata This Asia woodlander has a unique sharp, acrid, acidic scent to its foliage. Many find it abhorrent, however it is a popular wild-foraged plant in its native region where its leaves are gathered and eaten in spring.

Perfumery AmphitheatreThe plants grown on the Amphitheatre yield the oils responsible for the majority of perfumes and aftershaves available on the high street. Display panels nearby indicate which plants are used to create popular perfume products such as Poison and Eternity.

3. Philadelphus and RibesThese two scented plants divide opinion. Despite Ribes leaves being used in perfumery some find their scent repulsive. Philadelphus is equally divisive – some find it sweet and light while others think it smells unpleasant and cat-like!

Scents of the NightThis area comes to life at dusk as many of the species grown here begin releasing scent as light levels drop. Book in for one of our evening lectures or dinner at Tangerine Dream and experience the exotic scents of the night…

4. Atlantic LegumeThis woody pea relative from the Canary Islands has a very powerful sweet almond or parma violet scent, however some people cannot smell it at all. Have a sniff close up and see if you are one of the lucky ones who can get a whiff…

Scents of the TropicsTropical plants have some of the most exquisite scents. For this reason many are harvested for the perfume industry. Look out for Vanilla, Cardamom, Patchouli and the intoxicating Stanhopea orchid.

5. Scented leavesAmong the pelargonium collection is a range of scented leaved cultivars. Plants such as P. ‘Attar of Rose’ have a heady Turkish delight/rose water scent, while others lean towards mint and citrus notes. Touch them to find out...

The Abhorrent ArbourFor every deliciously scented plant there in one with a less than desirable odour. The Arbour highlights some of the stinkiest most fœtid plants around. Some are poisonous so only touch plants with labels recommending this.

6. Salvia elegansThis plant may take all summer before producing its bright red flowers but in the meantime its foliage is a treat. Lightly rub the leaves to discover the extraordinary pineapple scent locked into its foliage.

The Garden is bursting at the seams with scented plants throughout the seasons. This summer, our new trail highlights some of these species along with a range of specialist displays, including the intoxicating Sweet Pea Avenue and the Abhorrent Arbour. Follow the trail via the map overleaf and keep your nose trained for a cornucopia of scents.

a. Iris foetidissimaThe stinking iris, as it is commonly known,eminates a fœtid bovril-like smell from its foliage.

b. Lavandula sp.The icon of plant scents.

c. Piper nigrumBoth foliage and fruit of black pepper carry a sharp piquant scent.

d. Eucalyptus nicolaiiThe leaves of eucalyptus carry a delicate scent with a medicinal quality.

All photography© Jonathan Buckley

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