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Keyneston Mill

Keyneston Mill is a large garden in the Tarrant Valley. 'The Collection' is a geometrical parterre with six compartments for plants used in making perfumes. It is a highly specialised botanical garden with each of the compartments devoted to a type of plant, including Citrus, Spice Floral and Fougère. Some are beautiful, some are fascinating, all have potential uses in the blending and manufacture of perfume. Scents come from evaporating oils. Fougère (pronounced ‘foo-jair’ with a soft 'j') is French for fern. The group, which includes lavender, vetiver, geranium, bergamot, oakmoss and coumarin, is much used in making fragrances for men. Vetiver is an Indian grass now associated with Haiti. Keyneston is a great place to learn about scents.

Head Gardener's Comment

Keyneston Mill is the creative and experimental home of Parterre Fragrances. Dedicated solely to scented and aromatic plants. From Perfume Workshops to Guided Tours.

History

Keyneston Mill Botanic Gardens lie in the Tarrant Valley, bordered by the River Stour. The formal Collection Gardens have been designed in “compartments” each featuring plants from a different perfume family for example Floral, Fougere (Fern), Spice and Citrus. Beautiful and gloriously scented, these gardens are also practical trial beds where unusual varieties are grown and distilled in small batches. Those that produce great oil may then be planted in the surrounding Perfume Crop Fields which form a patchwork of colour in summer – the vital botanical ingredients, exclusively for inclusion in Parterre perfumes.

Plants of note

Over 1500 varieties of scented or perfume plants, many of which are distilled for perfume ingredients. Notable plants include rose-scented geranium, vetiver, iris, ciste labdanum, tobacco, artemesia, angelica, bergamot mint, lemon thyme, shiso, vietnamese corriander, yarrow and a collection of diverse citrus trees.

Tarrant Keyneston, Blandford, England, DT11 9HZ

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