The sharp, sweet spice of old-fashioned clove pinks, the scent today's long-lasting florist carnations have mostly lost, rebuilt from pure essential oils and absolutes as a small, nostalgic perfume.
At a glance
May mornings, a bundle of flowers carried in from the garden, and a sharp, sweet spice filling the whole house. Old-fashioned clove pinks, the small cousins of the carnation, smelled like that.