Polianthes tuberosa, growing in the garden, flowering late in September this year.

It’s been a while since I last posted anything on this blog. Since my last entry, we’ve been in lock down and during this time, I’ve spent more time in the garden, planting for the joy of watching nature come alive.

In May, I planted 5 tubers of the precious Polyanthes tuberosa ‘The Pearl’ in pots. Instructions were simple, put in pots around 3 inches deep in a sunny spot. I put them into 3 pots and waited. I chose them because the scent was described as highly scented and found in many perfumes

Within a month the tubers started to push through the earth and their leaves began to emerge and grow tall. Out of the 3 pots, only one of the tubers I planted showed small buds and bloomed.

In the early morning, brushing past the bloom, it releases a heady scent which I can only describe as sweet, combining the scents of flowers such as irises, roses, lilacs into one floral scent, that feels like sunshine, almost alcoholic as it hits the back of the throat and nose.

You’ll find it in Monotheme’s Tuberose Eau de Toilette, a budget perfume that is available in Marks & Spencers in the UK or on Amazon.

For more indulgent luxury, I love the new perfume from Chanel, Gabrielle Chanel.

It has a softer citrus start and includes my favourite scent of Grapefruit, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, and the rich floral scent of tuberose.

Since the flower has now faded and it’s time to dig up the tuber and store it in a warm place inside the house, it will be a long time before it’s possible to plant it in the garden and watch it grow.

It’s the first time I’ve planted this flower this year, so I’m not sure if I’ll be successful in saving the tubers and getting it to flower again and whether it will be possible to enjoy it’s heady scent in the garden next summer.

So for the time being, I’ll be bringing the sunshine scent back now that the days have grown shorter and colder.