I think Rowling uses this perfume because, the Greek word for ‘fig tree’ not being a commonplace even among classicists, she expects her readers to skip over the literal meaning of the perfume and jump to the obvious association. One could make something of the symbolic meaning of figs here - Christ curses a fig tree and there is the theory that it was a fig rather than an apple tree that grew in the Garden of Eden and whose fruit was forbidden to Adam and Eve - but I won’t. After around 15 minutes the fragrance warms with a sugared spiced cedar and a light soapiness adding more comfort and security to an already comforting perfume.ĭiptyque says the perfume is “an ode to the entire tree: the green, pungent freshness of the leaves, the wood warmed in the sun, the milky flavor of the fruit.” Instead, the perfume is subdued and pulsates within the heart of the jungle with a comforting earthiness. For some reason I was expecting this to be sweet, but it’s far from that. There’s a creaminess that helps to create what feels like a lush carpet of wood and green and mildly ripening fruit. It’s green and feels earthy and rooty like vines that are meeting the ground and attaching themselves to the earth below. Philosykos opens with one second of sparkling ozone followed by this inviting coconut and fig. ‘Philosychos’ in Greek means “ friend of the fig tree,” a fitting name for a scent described this way at a website that reviews perfumes: The names of Robin’s baseline perfume, Philosychos, and the one she and Strike choose at story’s end, Narciso, both point less to the bedroom than to Robin’s allegorical, psychological, and mythological role in the series. Strike, it must be recalled, balks at buying Robin a perfume for Christmas, not only because his flu bug prevents him from being able to smell anything (or think clearly), but also because the names of scents recommended to him mean “In Your Arms” and “Ravishing Musk.” Strike tells Robin in the last chapter trip to Liberty’s perfume counter that these names sounded to him like “Shaggable You,” which idea makes Robin laugh out loud. What is left unnoted, beyond the connection to be made between the perfumes mentioned and the identity of the person who wears it, is the importance of the perfume names. The anonymous compilier notes on that page without further elucidation that “Perfumes appear to be an important and recurring theme in Troubled Blood, emphasizing identity and how we want to be seen versus how other people see us.” The various perfumes mentioned in Troubled Blood have been catalogued at the always helpful StrikeFans website. As much as perfumes play an outsized role in Troubled Blood, the name of the perfume is worth a moment’s reflection because its meaning is suggestive of Robin’s role in the allegorical drama that the Cormoran Strike mysteries are. Strike and Matthew both liked it, perhaps their only point of agreement beyond loving Robin herself. Further selection and perhaps hybridization of Phlox amplifolia could lead to more adaptable summer-blooming phlox for the garden.Robin Ellacott-Cunliffe’s perfume of choice until the dissolution of her marriage was Philosychos by Diptyque. In the wild, Phlox amplifolia can be found growing in dry-mesic upland sites from Indiana south to Alabama, and from Arkansas east to Virginia. Much of the outstanding garden performance of this species likely comes from its ability to grow in drier soils, especially compared to Phlox paniculata which requires consistently moist conditions. Such a habit could be very beneficial in meadows and naturalistic plantings where largeleaf phlox can be allowed to meander. Largeleaf phlox produces underground runners that slowly spread outward to form a large mass, similar to the way bee balm ( Monarda spp.) grows, though not as aggressive. However, the most interesting thing about this species is its rhizomatous habit. In June, it produces large, airy inflorescences of pink flowers that rise 1-2′ above the mass of foliage and continue to bloom for about six weeks. The noticeably hairy foliage grows approximately 2′ tall and is relatively immune to powdery mildew. Phlox amplifolia is an exciting species that had not been used in horticulture prior to our evaluation.
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