Ormonde Jayne offers a bespoke fragrance journey like no other
I am standing in the Perfumer’s Garden (not to be confused with the perfumed garden which is something else entirely) belonging to one of the UK’s foremost creators of fragrance, and former Bowdon resident, Linda Pilkington.
As if it isn’t special enough this is a sizeable plot slap bang in the centre of North London – I can even see the capital’s iconic red buses glide by as I nibble on cakes and sip a welcoming cool drink on a hot summer’s day.
We are discussing the varieties of plants that Linda has brought into the garden of her 1820s semi-detached villa as we begin a fragrance journey like no other.
Linda does something utterly unique for fans of her elegant Ormonde Jayne fragrances, a bespoke experience which starts with a tour of the garden and a potted history of the house itself.
The architecture is dramatic with curved Roman windows and a rather ornate style a far cry from the nearby pared down Georgian minimalism of the John Nash houses at nearby Regent’s Park.
Originally the garden was a meadow-type affair, but Linda decided that she wanted to plant a garden that was more relevant to her calling as a perfumer. However, planning permission had to be hard fought before she even stuck a spade into the grounds. One reason for this is that running through the garden is a towpath, a reminder of the time when the canal at Camden Lock ran right through to the centre of London. This waterway was rerouted during WWII as it was feared it would lead the Nazis into the city. All that now remains is a wall, but this is still deemed significant enough to be protected.
Linda has now planted a garden which resonates with her profession, and what you find there will depend upon the time of year. That means whatever blossoms in February – blue poppies, Osimanthus and snow bells – will make way for bolder more showy blossoms like peonies, roses and black irises in the summer.
Most of the plants here correspond to the ingredients of her stunning fragrances and it’s enjoyable for any fragrance-phile to discover their source. Linda explains that the peonies can be found in her best-selling Levant, while black irises in Vanille des Afriques and iris, bluebells and violets are what makes Babylonia so distinctive. Indeed, all her perfumes are as exotic as they sound and are as stylish and elegant as their creator.
Linda’s love of flowers and fragrance goes back to when she was a child in in Bowdon, Cheshire. Aged 14, she grew chrysanthemums which she sold in buckets in the driveway of their home to fund a makeover of her bedroom.
A pupil of Delahay’s school for young ladies she says she was a born entrepreneur.
“I’d make candles, room sprays and everything would look particularly nice. I’d write out labels with an ink pen, so that everything would look pretty. I was a born retailer and craftswoman.
“I was very naturally entrepreneurial in the pursuit of beauty.”
So industrious was she that she was featured in the Manchester Evening News one Christmas with the headline “Little Miss Busy” flitting from roles as Maid Marion in Robin Hood, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and as star gazer Patrick Moore’s assistant in another show and indeed she hasn’t stopped since.
She now has a world-renowned fragrance house with a perfume studio in Mayfair London which is the perfect showcase for her expensively aromatic scents.
After a tour of the garden, we sip a glass of champagne (other drinks are available) and she takes me through an olfactory discovery to gauge my preferences. Firstly, Linda gets me to inhale a variety of essential oils, then we sample around five fragrances which correspond to my favourites. This is where you can really fall in love with a fragrance which is exactly what I did by choosing Ormonde Jayne Woman, a heady mix of black hemlock, jasmine and violet, which I am told will be specially made up at the studio in an even more intense concentration.
The Perfumer’s Garden visit then ends with a trip in a taxi to the Mayfair boutique where you can pick up your 88ml full sized fragrance with a beautifully engraved overcap, or you can opt to have it sent to you in the post. The entire experience is sheer delight for anyone who loves fragrance and Linda herself is so knowledgeable and likeable, it’s like meeting an old friend with a very rare talent and it’s an experience to be treasured forever. The perfect gift to give a loved one – or to give yourself!
Price: £530 per person, £440 each for a party of two.
To book: customerservices@ormondejayne.com
Ormondejayne.com
By Janet Reeder
