ONLY THE LONELY 🌱

'Only the Lonely' Nicotiana Sylvestris, White Shooting Stars or Woodland Tobacco.

It was the only Nicotiana Slyvestris plant to grow in the compost garden, and I left it alone to grow next to the Pumpkin Patch.
Now that the Pumpkin Patch is gone, Only the Lonely is truly alone. 

It's beautiful, candelabra-like clusters of tubular luminous white blossoms still intoxicate the evening autumn air with a rich Jasmine-like perfume.
In the past, when the white shooting stars of the Nicotiana Sylvestris bloomed in our summer garden at the front of the house where we could see and smell its beautiful scent, we would see hummingbird moths come around twilight to sip from the tiny trumpets. But this year, the trees have taken over the sun-loving garden, and only now are the self-sown seeds from the nicotiana of last summer starting to grow, a little too late, I'm afraid. So, come early spring next year, I must remember not to forget 'Only the Lonely' and plant some of its seeds indoors. This way, I will find it a better place to grow and watch its miniature chandeliers light up under the moonlight, maybe even catch a glimpse of a little fairy in the secret garden flitting here and there in the flowers of the 'Woodland Tobacco.'

'Where at dusk the dumb white nicotine awakes and utters her fragrance in a garden sleeping.' ~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

The Secret of the Old Book 📖

The smell of old books. There's a word for that, Catsbibliosmia, 😹 but seriously, it's called Bibliosmia. I love the smell of old books and  Maggie loves it too. 

I love collecting old books, not because of their distinctive odor although it is one of their capturing attributes but because I love the stories, the illustrations and of course their covers that draw me into their worlds. 

The smell of old books derives from the Lignin content, the fibers, and chemicals used in the bookmaking of that particular book. Through time, the Lignin content breaks down to form compounds like vanillin and furfural, which are the elements that produce a smell much like vanilla and almond. Combine these scents with their environment they originated from, maybe from a house whose occupant loved coffee, loved plants and flowers, cats and dogs, all these components' odors play a part inoculating the book with its own beautiful and rare perfume.

So, I love sweets, especially ones made with vanilla, and almond and because I'm a diabetic the next best thing to the real sugar is the scent of an old book.

To be surrounded by volumes of old books, all keeping secrets. What a wonderful obsession!

Have you come to the scary part of Nancy Drew's The Secret Of The Old Clock, Mags? 😂

Here's a link to an oldie ~ Nancy Drew ... Reporter ( 1939 ) comedy/crime

PHOTOS BY M