NATURE’S PERFUME
For plants, smell is a vital form of communication. Each scent is a combination of complex chemicals, that evaporate easily and float through the air to attract pollinators and repel predators. These plant ‘perfumes’ can be found in any number of plant parts, including the roots, bark, leaves, seeds, flowers, wood or resin – and they have played an important role in everyday life in Southern Africa for many thousands of years.
It is believed that the name of the San people is derived from their use of aromatic shrubs to anoint their bodies. More recently, the term aromatherapy was coined by the French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in 1935, after he used lavender essential oil to treat a burn.
It is these essential oils that give plants and spices their characteristic scent, flavour or perfume. In some cases, these oils are present in large quantities, for example, you can often see, feel and smell them being released from an orange when it is peeled. In stark contrast, it takes more than a ton of rose petals to produce just 300 grams of rose oil.
A Frenchman, by the name of Piesse devised a system whereby fragrances are compared to notes on a musical scale. This terminology is still used today. Essential oils are classified into top, middle and base notes. Top notes have light, fresh characteristics that are immediately apparent, such as basil, lemon and eucalyptus. The middle note is considered the heart of a fragrance, with the true scent only emerging sometime after the top note, including pelargonium and lavender. A base note is a rich heavy scent, that emerges slowly and lingers for a long time, myrrh or jasmine are perfect examples of this.
On Val de Vie Estate, rose-pelargoniums, wild rosemary and buchu, which is described as a combination of rosemary and peppermint, are just a few of the beautifully fragranced flowers and shrubs you are likely to experience while walking or running amongst the fynbos.
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Take a Deep Breath
Take an easy stroll or a slightly more strenuous run to these locations on the Estate and take in the aromatic scents:
Rose bushes lining the Val de Vie Boulevard are in full bloom towards the end of October;
Pick fresh basil, sage and rosemary from the Wellness Farm;
Head down to experience the multifaceted scent of eucalyptus trees in Val de Vie I on the eastern parameter of Valencia Farm;
Lemon orchards on your left as you head towards River Farm neighbourhood;
The biodiversity corridor is rich with fynbos scents. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to experience these smells;
The Pearl Valley Equestrian Centre is bordered by massive pine trees that give off a fresh and citrusy aroma.
