Here are some new additions to our list:

Because we were feeling that too much is still not enough, we are adding some cultivars to our 2022 list, including some split cups, historics, old favorites and the fun and frilly.

Albany	8 W-YYO	pre 1935
April Queen	1 W-YYO	pre 1938
Androcles	4 W-W	1978
Bella Ciao	4 Y-O	2021
Capisco	3 W-GYR	1969
Easter Born	4 W-Y	2013
Fragrant Rose	2 W-GPP	1978
Gay Tabor	4 W-O	1996
Louise de Coligny	2 W-YYP	pre 1940
Petit Four	4 W-PPY	1961
Popeye	4 W-Y	2008
Shrike	11a W-P	1984
Telamonious Plenus	4 Y-Y	pre 1620
Tricollet	11a W-O	1969

A Perfume Wheel is an attempt to bring structure to the subjective universe of fragrance. Ours is based on historic versions where Fresh, Floral, Oriental and Woody were always the primary classifications. Now we cringe a bit at the term Oriental, originally meaning exotic and mysterious. Perfume wheels are never perfect, some attributes (smoke, garlic, metallic) have a tough time getting a slot while others (light, sweet) are often included in more than one place. And expert "Noses" often fail to agree on much. But wheels are still a useful tool and a good starting point for discussion.

The Nose of the Narcissus

Now that the Paperwhites in pots have been shown the door there is nothing much fragrant in the house save the powerfully scented Witch hazel Hamamelis Wisley.

We are working on improving fragrance attributes for our site, but olfactory evaluation being highly subjective, it’s hard to notate more than “smells good”. We are aiming to collect data to see if blindfolded volunteer (and amateur) noses can at least distinguish between poeticus, jonquil and tazetta scents.

There is a collection of fragrance mentions by Andy Moore from 1989 at dafflibrary : https://dafflibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/fragranceopt.pdf

In the dark science of perfumery a scent is described by its source, whether naturally derived or increasingly synthetic in origin, and where it falls on numerous and mystical scent wheels : woodsy; earthy; resinous; … all of the way round to the florals: Light; Powdery; Fruity; Rosy; Sweet; Narcotic;.Yes, we can attest that Daffodils can have fruity, sweet, and rosy notes, along with the narcotic.

The essential oils of narcissus flowers are powerful components and expensive: Poeticus, Jonquilla and Tazetta blooms providing the raw materials. You gotta crush a lot of little Poets to get a gallon of juice.

At one time there was an old chestnut in perfumery: Men’s fragrances were not floral. But the spectrum of sexuality has moved on, now you will find many more men’s and gender neutral fragrances built with floral scents.

This is a quick survey of perfumes showing that the narcissus nose knows hard work and plays well with others : as a top note, in the heart, or as a slower moving base note:

Narcisse Noir by Caron 1911

Top notes: Floral , Narcissus,
Middle Notes : Fruit, Orange Jasmine,
Base notes: Sandalwood, Musk

Je Reviens by Worth 1932

Top notes: Aldehydic, Fruit
Middle notes;Floral, Narcissus, Hyacinth, Lilac, Ylang Ylang
Base notes: Musk

White Flowers by Creed 2011

Top: Fruits, Apple, Lemon
Middle Notes: Jasmine
Base notes : Narcissus, Musk,Sandalwood

Poeticus (for Men) by Fleurage N.D.

Top: Green
Middle :Narcissus
Base: Musk

Not looking to be assaulted by salesperson’s samples at the escalator ?

Here are two small-scale domestic producers that recently caught our interest. They are working with solid perfumes, particularly narcissus scents, which are an economical choice for the hoi-polloi like us.

Parterre Gardens in Iowa
https://www.parterre-gardens.com/

Lady Bowditch in Shelter Island New York https://www.ladybowditchnaturals.com

QDaffs offers 30 or more sweetly scented daffodils : https://www.qdaffs.us/fragrant.

Pressed Flowers

Here are some pressed miniature stems from May 2021. Sometimes the dried blooms of pressed flowers can appear to be faded to sad shades of olive and khaki. But on a day with snow on the ground and a few weeks until Asturiensis opens the season, these kids are looking pretty good to us.

The dried specimens reveal the botanical structure of the flowers and ovaries well, giving an x-ray like view of the style inside the tube in the jonquils, and the anthers in the cup of the trumpets.