Pretty...indolic

I'm proud of my garden, the effort I've put into it, and when I see, touch, smell and eat the results of my effort it all seems so worth it.

I designed it to ensure I had something flowering all year round and that meant researching which plants would suit the varying seasonal conditions then deciding which I actually wanted to plant. For my winter blooms it was a no-brainer to include jonquils, they're lovely flowers, quite pretty, and their fragrance is amazing.

My jonquils grow at the front of the house so when someone comes to the front door they get to smell their scent, often described as indolic, that is, lush and rich, due to the presence of the organic compound called indole. It's difficult to describe scents, for me at least, however think of jasmine but much warmer, more rich and heady, sweet like honey and...hmm, just find some jonquils, or grow them, and find out for yourself.

I always cut some and bring them inside, not many though, the fragrance is so strong that one doesn't need many. I pop a few into two little vases, add some lavender inflorescences and a little greenery, and place them so that no matter where one is in the living areas of the house once can enjoy the scent.

I took a few shots in my lightbox using a dark background to emphasise the flowers themselves. As you can see, they are quite delicate and the petals have a silky look and feel; they're also a little sparkly, although I think that's quite difficult to see with the naked eye and without the benefit of the macro lens.

I'm happy with how these turned out, they feel fresh and bright despite the dark background and I like the slash of green.

I enjoyed the process of getting these shots and am hard-pressed to determine which is my favourite. I think I'll go with image two...and image five. And one and three...and four. Hmm, ok, that's all of them.

Jonquils are not my favourite flower, just one I really like; it's the scent, the way they look and a special moment (many moments) from my past that they take me back to when I see and smell them.

Have you ever smelled the fragrance of the jonquil and if so do you like it? Have you grown your own or would you like to? Maybe you'd just like to comment about something you've read above, or the images. Feel free to do so below, I always reply.