Southern Scents

There are lots of really good things about living in the south, but this time of year it is worth the journey just for the smells that permeate the air. Right now, the honeysuckle spreads a sweetness in the warm night air that lingers and wraps around you like an old cashmere sweater. The cottonwoods add some depth with a little musky earthy tone, then there are the privets that are also heavy with sweetness. My neighbor's magnolia is in full bloom, and there is that clean soft

whisper of tenderness. But the crowning touch, are the gardenias, rich, warm, heady, sexy, yet

sweet and innocent, when mine are in full bloom, they intoxicate me with their richness. Their scent is like a promise of pleasure that beckons, yet you never obtain it. We also have heirloom roses that add just a hint of spice. I walk out my door, and it is a sensory overload. I walk through the garden, and the smell of fresh earth, cut grass and the blend of lemon balm, basil, rosemary and lavender add their own unique notes to this incredible symphony of smells. For all of this, it is worth the humidity, the bite of blood thirsty mosquitoes, and an occasional gnat in the eye. This is the south that is dreamed about, written about and sung about it.......and it is good.