The roses are blooming again, although this season it seems they never stopped. I stop, however, nearly every time a bloom extends over a wrought iron gate and presents itself to me. I am one to stop and smell the roses.

I also stopped to collect those rose petals as they fell. I kept collecting them until I had enough to create a small amount of cologne. The scent of rose deepens and becomes a little powdery or dusty when they dry. I'll be making more with the second seasonal blooms. I have freshly dried sweet annie and lavender from my garden for the brew as well.

Along with roses I used vetiver root, lavender, sweet annie and dried orange peel. It has a smokey, sweet, complex aroma, something worth stopping for.

You can see these and other botanical colognes and perfumes on...

Etsy