On a lovely sunny day in mid-July more than twenty of us in our summer frocks, sunhats and
sunglasses met at Keyneston Mill, a 50-acre estate in the Tarrant Valley to explore the
botanical gardens, find out a little about the world of fragrance and discover another of
Dorset’s hidden secrets, how a fine perfumery business, Parterre Fragrances, is thriving in
the English countryside.
It goes without saying that we had provided for senses other than the purely olfactory by
booking lunch in the Scented Botanist Bistro where our day started with coffee and cake!
We were then divided into two groups each led by one of the owners, David and Julia
Bridger, to explore the formal Collection Gardens which have been designed in
“compartments” each featuring plants from a different perfume family for example Floral,
Fougere (Fern), Spice and Citrus. These gardens are also trial beds where unusual varieties
are grown and distilled on the estate to produce small batches of essential oil. Those that
produce interesting, high-quality oil can then be planted in the surrounding Perfume Crop
Fields which provide the botanical ingredients for Parterre perfumes. David encouraged us
to pick, crush and sniff the leaves and seeds as we made our way past fascinating plants and
interesting pieces of sculpture.
We then spent time in the Aromadome with Julia who explained the different ways in which
essential oils are produced, driven to Grasse in Provence to Jacques Chabert, one of the
best-known noses in the fragrance industry, who blends them into Parterre perfumes. She
encouraged us to smell a range of different scents to see if we could identify them, a skill
Julia is particularly good at!
It was then time for a delicious summery lunch in the bistro followed by a stroll along the
river Stour which runs through the estate and a visit to the shop to try out the range of
perfumes for ourselves.
All in all, a very enjoyable day out!
Author
Melanie Lillie