I don’t know if anyone else has this problem, but for me, spring is ripe with distractions. In the past few weeks here in Maine the leaves have popped out on the trees, the grass is suddenly emerald velvet in the front yard, and my neighbor’s apple tree is blossoming. This has left me feeling restless; I’ll be answering an email and thoughts will stray to the garden, the yard work I could be doing, the seedlings sprouting on the deck. “Hey look–something shiny!” and I’m off.

I think this may be the reason that I have these spring fragrances; lilac and lily of the valley are not especially “trendy” but they transport me to the brief weeks of spring in my memory. The lilac thicket near my childhood home, with the carpet of vinca underfoot, was absolutely magical. It must have grown for decades to be so tall and broad and dense. There was a well-worn path through the middle, and the fragrance inside was incredible. A whiff of lilac fragrance and I’m seven again, on an adventure in the thicket.

Then there was the lily of the valley growing at my best friend’s house. Her mom would bring in doll-sized bouquets of the blossoms to enjoy while they bloomed, and she loved the fragrance so much that she had a perfume that smelled just like it. I think of her every time I make lily of the valley hand cream or lotion. Fragrances have that ability–did you know that the part of your brain that receives information about smells from your nose is connected directly to the parts that experience emotion and create memories? How many times have you smelled something and suddenly had a rush of emotion and a memory of a time and place long gone?

I think my next spring fragrance should be apple blossom! What are some of your favorite spring fragrances?