The Gardenia at the NYBG

In all of my excitement about the soon to be closed ORCHID SHOW at the New York Botanical Garden (ends 04.06.2008!), I failed to mention that one of the true highlights of the day was the spotting of several Gardenia plants amongst the Orchids.  Yes, the strongly fragrant flowers stopped many in their tracks, "what's that smell?" repeated over and again whenever someone entered the conservatory.  Alas, it's one of those memorable scents that just intoxicates the senses to a point of memory. 

My most fond thoughts about the Gardenia stem from a dinner that I attended at Poplar Grove Plantation in Port Allen, Louisiana, less than 100 miles away from New Orleans.  I was with a party of 12, and we were served really fantastic Creole food, outside on the house's porch, as we dined by teeny, tiny tea lights.  The Wilkinson family, the owners of the home had Gardenia bushes along the perimeter of her property, which abutted a levee, near the edge of the Mississippi River.  The breeze from the water drifted against the Gardenias, and it was a dewy June night, so the whole moment felt like being enveloped in a giant bubble bath.

Yes, over the years, I've attempted to find a scent of Gardenias to capture that feeling in time, because it was pretty special.  I've discovered Jo Malone's Vintage Gardenia fragrance collection, which is very nice, albeit pricey.  However, the fact that I only had to travel to the Bronx to catch a whiff of Gardenias in bloom was an unexpected surprise!