Articles on Flowers | Topics: flowers, flower, floral
by Kimberley Zimmerman
There's a popular saying that goes, "Stop and smell the flowers." It usually means that you need to slow down a bit in your life and take time for simple pleasures … like smelling those proverbial flowers. Isn't that the first thing you do when someone hands a bouquet to you or you are walking through a flower garden? It's instinctive, something that we just do unconsciously. When buying flowers for yourself, many times the smell is what draws you to a purchase. That smell is what perfume manufacturers use to lure you to try and wear certain fragrances. In fact, flowers are an integral part in creating a fragrance.
Perfumes are derived from a variety of sources like fruits, bark, herbs, grasses, wood, resins, leather and even tobacco and chocolate. However, it is the flower that provides the foundation for many fragrances. Each flower offers a unique scent that can affect a perfume. In fact, even the same type of flower can elicit various aromas. For instance, roses often smell the same, but because there are hundreds of varieties of roses, each one will offer a scent that is slightly different from the next.
Flowers grow all over the world, so there are a lot of factors that play a part in creating a unique scent for your perfumes and fragrances. Soil acidity or alkalinity can alter a flower's scent. The weather and environmental conditions like pollution and use of pesticides also contribute to a flower's smell. Take the rose, for example. Roses grow all over the world, from France to the United States to Bulgaria, known for its corner of the market for rose production specifically for perfumes. For some flowers, they will not grow anywhere except in a small particular corner of the world. One example of this is the ylang-ylang flower. This delicate smelling flower only grows naturally in parts of Southeast Asia.
Manufacturers of fragrances have to isolate the essential oils from the flowers. These essential oils are what give plants and flowers their distinctive aromas. Numerous flowers are used in the production of perfumes and other fragrances. However, the most important flowers that provide the foundation to many fragrances are from the rose, jasmine and orange flowers. Also commonly used are ylang-ylang flowers.
Roses used in perfumes and fragrances date back to the Roman and Greek times and account for appearances in over seventy percent of all perfumes. Roses are rarely picked during the day; rather, they are harvested at night when their aromatic fragrance is at its strongest. The Damask Rose and the Rosa Centifolia are the two most popular roses cultivated for perfumes and fragrances.
| Bit of History |
Spirit of her I love,
Whispering to me,
Stories of sweet visions, as I rove,
Here stop, and crop with me
Sweet flowers that in the still hour grew,
|
|
Jasmine flowers are also picked at night time to preserve its peak aroma. And once jasmine flowers are picked, they must be processed and refined right away. Otherwise, their scent will fade from the picked blooms. Jasmine flowers are delicate, so great care is taken in the handling of the blooms. The precautions are needed because jasmine accounts for over seventy-five percent presence in the perfumes made today.
Parts of Europe and Africa account for most of the orange flowers used in perfumes and fragrances. Orange blossoms were once the popular flowers for weddings. The flower oil garnered from orange blossoms provides a fresh, clean, citrus-y scent that is quite refreshing to the senses. In fact, even orange trees have some beneficial things that can contribute to the fragrance market. Essential orange oils can be derived from the skin or peel of an orange. Even the leaves and bark can be harvested for some fragrance uses like cleaning products or linen sprays.
Finally, the exotic ylang-ylang flower found predominately in Southeast Asia is another popular flower used the production of perfumes and fragrances. The secret to the most aromatic ylang-ylang flowers is harvesting is waiting until the flower buds have been open for several weeks. And like the jasmine, the ylang-ylang flower must be processed and refined quickly before it loses aroma quality.
When choosing a fragrance for yourself, one way to make a good choice in perfumes is to determine which flower is your favorite. From there, you can do a little research into which perfumes use that flower and go "sniffing" around the department or fragrance stores in search of the right scent for you.
|
We strive to provide
only high quality articles on our website. If
there is a specific topic about flowers that you do not see but would like us to cover, please contact us here.
Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Floral Facts for Fragrances" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by FlowersPlantsGardening.com. |
Weed Control Methods for Vegetable Gardens
By Gwyneth Underwood
Weeds can become huge problems in gardens and crops if the proper steps aren't taken. Weeds will reduce moisture, nutrition, sunlight and growth space that is needed for your gardens....
Blooming Ideas for your Wedding Flowers
By Quinten Harris
Having flowers at a wedding is very traditional and beautiful. Deciding what kind and how many seems to be the problem for most couples....
Order Flowers Online
By Zerlina Tillman
My mother has always been very particular about Mother's Day and about flowers. When it comes to getting Mothers Day flowers for her, as you can imagine, great caution has to be taken....
Mow Power Five Tips in Choosing the Perfect Mower for that Perfect Lawn
By Elysa Everett
Mowing your lawn can often be a hard task if you don't have the right equipment. By finding the right kind of lawn mower, you can easily cut your grass easier, and allow for a better cut of your lawn....
Three Trees that make Perfect Hedge
By Oralie Mueller
Are you looking for the perfect hedge? Many trees can make a perfect hedge. To choose one, you need to look at your climate zone, what type of soil you have and how much moisture it will get....
Starting from Scratch How to Prepare the Ground and Plant your Perfect Lawn
By George Quinn
Starting a lawn from scratch can be a daunting task. However, if done properly, you can give yourself a lawn that will be much less trouble to care for than one that is not given the time and effort....
|
