Neil Morris for American Perfumer© Garden of the Heart of Heaven (2023) + Tenshin-en Giveaway

September 5, 2023September 5, 2023

Perfumer Neil Morris and Neil Morris for American Perfumer© Garden of The Heart collage

American independent artisanal perfumer Neil Morris should require no introduction at this point in his very long career as a dedicated autodidact perfumer, but for those who may not know him we’d like to introduce Neil Morris to those who haven’t yet experienced his prolific body of work. I could choose from so many beautiful fragrances that I’ve lost count – but the reintroduction of his splendid bespoke (originally created for the elite Manhattan boutique Takashimaya) for Dave Kern of The American Perfumer, now known as Garden of the Heart of Heaven – is a wonderful place to start.

Photo of Takashimaya 2009 by Michelyn

When he was asked to create a fragrance for Takashimaya (referred to so succinctly and elegantly by Editor-in-Chief Michelyn Camen as “The Corner of Zen and Fifth Avenue” in a 2010 farewell homage to their last existing boutique in the U.S.), Neil cited his inspiration wellspring as the Japanese garden at Boston’s Museum of Fine Art on The Fenway – part of a network of green spaces known as the Emerald Necklace, created by Frederick Law Olmsted (who was responsible for NYC’s Central Park and many other national botanical treasures).This lovely secluded spot’s name is “Tenshin-en,” which translates as Neil Morris for American Garden of the Heart of Heaven. One afternoon when Neil and his friend David visited the garden there occurred a brief thunderstorm; afterwards, as the blooms were drying in the sun, the plethora of aromas provided perfumed impetus for a Japanese-themed fragrance.

Japanese garden at Boston’s Museum of Fine Art on The Fenway courtesy of Neil Morris

It’s no simple task to try to encapsulate any ethnic experience – and perhaps I’m in a favorable position to recall this, because Neil asked me and two other friends to provide feedback at the time. We went through 41 modules before everyone was satisfied! If you add Everything Japanese to a fragrance, you can wind up with the kitchen sink; it involved an eventual parsing and breaking down during which materials were removed, altered, added – and it was a painstaking process. That which is now known as Garden of the Heart of Heaven emerged as an exquisite aldehydic (Neil adores his aldehydes, and who can argue?) green tea-nuanced floral ripe with juicy fruit tones and exotic blossoms luxuriating upon cushiony woods. Garden of the Heart of Heaven is joy-filled and buoyant, with remarkable longevity upon the skin. Citruses collide with the tangy character of black currant, afforded the verdancy of bamboo freshness and astringent sweetened green tea. The evocation of orchid, cherry blossom, and plum blossom are fantasy notes, blithe and delicate; narcissus contributes its complex profile of sweet, slightly horsey animalic floralcy, which complements orris in the base. We are given judicious brushstrokes of oak, cedar, and agarwood – just enough to ground the jubilant aromas which precede them – along with a touch of tonka’s spicy caramellic good nature.

The Plum Garden in Kameido via Wiki

Neil Morris for American Perfumer© Garden of the Heart of Heaven is about what the heart desires: to be uplifted, unburdened of care and woe, to possess openness to the beauty found amidst the quotidian. To be conscious of those brief moments of peace, in the presence of living, blooming things which flutter around us weightless like butterfly wings.

Notes: aldehydes, mandarin orange, bergamot, black currant; bamboo, orchid, narcissus, cherry blossom, Japanese green tea, plum blossom, oak, tonka bean, orris root, agarwood, cedar.

Neil Morris and other perfumers and creative directors homage to Takashimaya here

Please read Michelyn’s Interview with Neil Morris from 2011 here

Flacon provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy, and Natural Perfumery Editor

As only 50 bottles were made, we are grateful to have a sample to offer!

Thanks to the generosity of Dave Kern and American Perfumer, we have one 3ml. sample of Neil Morris for American Perfumer© Garden of the Heart of Heaven for one registered reader in the USA (you must do that here). Please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Garden of the Heart of Heaven based upon Ida’ review. Draw closes 9/8/2023

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