Spring Scents to Awaken Your Home

Spring is one of our favourite seasons at P&A. There is a hopeful excitement to it that arrives just as we were feeling the grey rain would never end. Change is everywhere as we welcome more new flowers to the world daily.

It is completely natural then that we all want to usher a little of this sparkling promise into our homes. We throw the windows open wide and let the spring air in. Aside from the celebration of warmer weather, one reason why this is so natural an act is the desire to fill our rooms with those scents that signal the imminent arrival of summer.

For those of us not lucky enough to have a sweet smelling cottage garden outside every window, we have put together a list of scents we believe carry all the fresh positivity of Spring and how best to bring them into your home.

Whilst there are few roses actually flowering in the earlier months of spring, the scent is intrinsically linked to warmer weather and longer evenings. Later in May as the world heads into Summer, bringing roses indoors can be wonderful but with a little forward planning you can benefit from the scent much earlier in the year. By drying rose petals in the summer and early autumn they can be scattered under carpets or in small bowls and release their silky, smooth scent into the rainy days of March. For those with less foresight and time however, our Cornflower & Meadow Rose Diffuser has a similar effect, gently releasing the scent of clambering roses and dancing wildflowers into rooms and doorways.

Neroli is the oil produced by the blossom of the bitter orange tree. It, along with marmalade, is in our opinion the best thing to be born of Seville Oranges whose trees bloom in spring. Little wonder its sweet scent brings strengthening sunshine to our minds. It has the clever ability to encourage our brains to release serotonin and reduce cortisol levels making it a powerful pick me up. It, perhaps unsurprisingly, blends well with citrus oils of all descriptions complimenting their sharp warmth with its heady floral notes. Our Neroli & Bergamot Candle combines it with basil and petitgrain as well as the citrus hit of bergamot. Petitgrain too comes from the bitter orange tree though in its case, from the leaves. All of these combine to create a scent that shimmers with delicate ease and dappled sunshine – just what a home needs in spring.

Galbanum has an unfamiliar name but is in fact the key ingredient to many well-known “green” scents. It, just like rose, is an ancient perfume ingredient being particularly beloved by the ancient Egyptians. It has a fresh verdant scent that conjures green houses and herb gardens. As the scent itself comes from a gum, it can be difficult to incorporate into your home without the use of scented home fragrance, though an overflowing bowl of green salad would be a good place to start. Luckily our Galbanum & Peppermint Diffuser can help too. By combining galbanum with peppermint and the ever popular scent of tomatoes, this fragrance offers the constant liveliness of new growth and herbaceous plenty.

Jasmine adds a heady intoxication to many perfumes and is instantly recognisable. If you have the time, jasmine will grow indoors as a house plant offering its rich scent as an annual companion. But they are picky, temperamental flat mates and also very fast growing so are really best suited to a garden. To appreciate all the depth of Jasmine with none of this hassle, we might suggest our Jasmine & Tuberose Candle. The deep scent is perfect for lengthening evenings and the dancing flicker of the candle will add to the twilight mood.

Our final suggestion, Vetiver, originates in grass roots rather than flowers and indeed it carries none of the sweetness of Jasmine, Rose or Neroli. It is earthy and spicy and was known by the ancient perfumiers of India as “The Oil of Tranquillity”. We have included it here because as we all emerge from our winter bolt holes and throw ourselves with enthusiasm into the better weather and the widening social calendars, we are at risk of starting too fast to soon. Having a vetiver and lavender scented diffuser to welcome you back to the house and create a safe calming space for you to recharge in will pay dividends by the time Summer arrives. As you go about your day this little bottle will release the scent of rain drenched earth into your busy springtime lives and encourage a few deep breaths.

And so, as the sunlight strengthens and days exceed the nights, why not welcome the newly awakening world into your home with our spring-inspired candles and diffusers. Remind yourself of the busy work happening in the verges and flowerbeds as you busy yourself with spring cleaning and easter hosting. Fill your home with spring fragrances, jostling with life and promise, invigorating the smaller moments of your day.