No longer the missing link at flower shows, fragrance gets its moment in the sun at Badminton
For anyone braving the heat of the first RHS Badminton Flower Show over the next few days, there’s a haven for the senses at The Perfume Pavilions, writes JO FAIRLEY
‘Perfume is the language of love’, reads the stone bench between The Perfumed Pavilions. PHOTOS (other than main image): Jo Fairley
It has always frustrated us that so many of England’s grand flower shows focus on what plants look like, not how they smell – which for those of us who are obsessed with scent, is all-important.
But one particular display at the very first RHS Badminton Flower Show – which runs from Wednesday 8th July to Sunday 12th July – celebrates what, for us, is such a central part of gardening joy: the sense of smell.
‘The Perfume Pavilions’ is the slightly grand name for two greenhouses at the show which have been planted with an array of scented plants inside and out, from lavender to star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), which is one of the most honeyed, heady plants you can ever enjoy in a garden.
It is a collaboration between C. Atherley, Cath Kidston Padgham’s incredibly popular geranium-centric bath, body and skincare brand, and Fibrex Nurseries, who are the UK’s top name in scented geraniums.
Scented geraniums – pelargoniums, if we’re being botanically strict – are plants that don’t announce their presence, but only release their scent when fondled – which visitors are encouraged to do, as they wander between the two glasshouses. (Very much ‘Touch, don’t just look’, is the vibe here.)
Scented geraniums can smell of lemon, orange, citrus, cinnamon and so many other aromatics – but you need to feel the leaves, to get the scent
As part of a garden show staged at the peak of the growing season, Badminton’s The Perfume Pavilions is the biggest display of scented geraniums assembled in one place that you’re likely to see (and, yay, smell) – a real insight into the huge range of other aromas which this plant can evoke, from citrus notes like orange and lemon to rose, mint and even cola.
As the RHS write, ‘The Perfume Pavilions is an immersive garden celebrating the origins of fragrance, showcasing flowers, foliage and trees. Inspired by Badminton Estate’s botanical heritage. it invites visitors to explore scent and discover sustainable design, historic connections and the journey from plant to perfume.’
They continue: ‘Pelargoniums form part of Badminton’s rich botanical heritage, shaped by a legacy of plant collection and curiosity. Introduced to Britain in the 17th century by Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort, these plants have been prized for their diversity and, above all, thier scent – released not from their flowers but from the leaves, offering notes of rose, citrus and spice.’
The incredibly varied olfactory profiles of scented geraniums were the original inspiration for C. Atherley, Cath’s return to the world of shops and general floral gorgeousness. Bewitched by these plants as a child, she has so far explored four different rose geranium profiles in her range, which spans bath oils, facial mists, facial oils, body lotions and an utterly perfect hand cream formulation, which sinks in fast but is beautifully rich.
Don’t miss the Perfume Pavilions
Scented geraniums are ridiculously easy to take cuttings from, as this display proves – just snip and plant
10/10 for flower show styling
Cath launched with Geranium No.1, based around Pelargonium radens, whose leaves have a lemony‑rose, distinctly ‘greenhouse geranium’ aroma, while Geranium No.2 centres on Pelargonium tomentosum, better known as the peppermint‑scented geranium (and my personal favourite, for its velvety leaves). Geranium No.3 reflects the Mabel Grey pelargonium, famous for its sherbet‑lemon, citronella‑like scent. And Geranium No.4, the most recent, is built around Attar of Roses, the soft, intensely rosy scented‑leaf geranium.
The show is set to be scorchingly hot over the next few days – but happily geraniums love the heat. And if sitting at home with an iced coffee in front of Wimbledon and armchair shopping is more your thing – and having been baked in the late afternoon sun at Badminton yesterday, we totally get that – you can summon the myriad fragrances of these bounteous botanicals to your door via Fibrex and C. Atherley’s online stores, listed below.
MAIN PHOTO: Courtesy of C. Atherley