In Scent Magic, a book which is at once romantic and extremely
practical, plantswoman, designer and garden-maker extraordinaire Isabel
Bannerman immerses the reader in the luscious smells of the fragrant
garden through a warmly written account of her year's gardening; and
combines this with an encyclopaedic reference work of the best aromatic
plants to grow throughout the seasons. Whether evoking the freshly baked
sponge smell emanating from wisteria, describing "Stanwell Perpetual" as
"the kind of rose that would taste of apricot and raspberries swirled
together," or championing the magic of the Himalayan cowslip, "scented
profoundly and deliciously like the dark vault of a Damascus spice
merchant" the glorious poetry of her descriptions is here joined with
personal memories and a lifetime's experience of gardening and plant
cultivation.