by Lesley Allen

Created on: February 20, 2008

A pleasing fragrance can be soothing and sensual, or soft and gentle, or hot and spicy. The slightest drift of scent can trigger vivid recollections of occasions and sensations from long ago. No wonder it is thought that of all our senses, none touches the imagination more effectively than smell.

For thousands of years, natural fragrances have been used to scent our food, our clothes, our bodies, and our homes. Indeed, the origin of the word 'perfume', is per fumin, meaning 'by smoke', and is thought to refer to the scented smoke of burning wood that was used to fumigate and sweeten the air inside the home in times past. It may also refer to the incense and fragrant oils burned in the temples as offerings to the gods.

We may no longer strew fragrant natural materials on our floors or cultivate aromatic flowers and herbs to prepare medicinal potions and remedies as our ancestors did, but our sense of smell is a powerful link to our memories and imaginations. When we introduce fascinating and pleasing scents into our homes we are creating a bond with our forebears while we build memories for our children and grandchildren to look back on in turn.

Flowers, plants, herbs, woods, resins, seeds, and leaves come to mind with the mention of perfume, but enticing and memory-evoking aromas can come in many forms. Perhaps the smell of fresh mint sauce brings back childhood memories of delicious roast lamb Sunday dinners, or the heavenly smell of newly-baked bread evokes thoughts of homely comforts and a grandmother's kitchen.

There is no more delightful way to bring the seasons indoors than to conjure up the sights and scents associated with the different times of the year. We can celebrate the first signs of spring with a vase of fragrant bright yellow daffodils and pussy willow, or fill the kitchen in summer with the heady scent of fresh strawberries. We can warm up a chill autumn evening with the alluring aroma of a cup of hot chocolate or cinnamon tea, or toast our toes in winter before a fire redolent with the scent of pine logs.

A fragrant house is a delight to all who cross its threshold, but particularly to those who call it home. Home is our haven, our place of replenishment for the spirit, and the familiar scents and smells help to envelop us in a feeling of security and belonging. Opening the front door and smelling the gentle fragrance of a bowl of pot pourri in the hall is just the first step into a scented world of beloved memories, and new moments to treasure.

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