Forest in the Summer

Besides the stench of skink cabbage and the rotting leaves in the murky, thickening ponds, I can’t help notice the sweet earthy Chypre scent that comes out of the forest floor when it’s hot out. The dried coniferous (and other) leaves on the floor must release their scent better in the heat than in the cold, damp winter. It smells sweet, warm, intoxicating but subtle. Like labdanum, but earthier (rather than resinous). I first noticed this scent in the early fall, when it wasn’t quite cold yet. Than I smelled it again this summer, and I am delighter to find another beautiful scent to look forward to for my strolls in the park.