Pause and Smell

There was a memorable moment in the triple digit heat soaked day of a recent visit to the Huntington Botanical Garden. The sun began to sink low in the sky, the garden was closed to the public. People were few,  but the insects and birds were vocal and lively.  In the waning heat of the day, a strong fragrant breeze drifted around.
The release of essential oils in the plants along the walkways became heady. Rosemary, santolina, thyme, catmint, yarrow, lavender and sages.
I love the smell of a garden in that moment just before complete darkness is all around.

The walkways in the California Gardens of the Huntington in San Marino. 

In the heat of the night
Why fragrance at night? The daytime warmth is still captured in the surface of the concrete walkways as the soil begins to cool down. This combination of temperature change intensifies aromatic plants…