Hortus Giardino Benessere 2025

My eyes were already squinty from working on the screen. So a little walk couldn't hurt. The walk through the forest next to the park should also be good for the soul.
I paused for a moment when I heard a cheerful whistle. Someone seemed to be in a good mood. Drawn by this, I tried to identify the source.

Past the flower bushes, I spotted it at the edge of the forest under the warm rays of the sun. But what was it? It could have been a scene from a commercial: A man stood hunched over a large wooden tub. He was moving rhythmically to the sound of his whistle. You certainly couldn't call it dancing. But he seemed to be a funny fellow. There were at least 100 lemons scattered around him, some of them already squeezed.
When he came up, I had to stifle a laugh. With his face covered in shaving foam, he took bright white laundry out of the bucket and wrung it out thoroughly. Only now did I see the lines tied in the air from tree to tree. The white shirts now fluttered just as happily in the gentle breeze, smiling graciously at the grass beneath them. A soapy freshness embraced me. I was spellbound by the spectacle that presented itself to me. He didn't seem to have noticed me, as he was busy cutting up more lemons and dripping them into the wash water.
The citrusy scent tickled my nose, making me sneeze.
He wheeled around "Who's there?"
Shit, I had ducked too late. Embarrassed, I stepped out from behind the bushes.

"Forest," he introduced himself.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I'm doing my laundry in my favorite place." Sure. With a soapy face. As if it were the most normal thing in the world. A long strand of hair fell into his face.
"Are you some kind of forest gnome?" I asked. Maybe that was a bit cheeky, because instead of answering, he told me to close my eyes. I would never have done that to a stranger. Especially not at the edge of the forest. But the atmosphere was so friendly and inviting that I only half-closed one eye. It rustled. "What do you smell?" he asked with a laugh when he noticed my cheating.
"Is that lavender?" Yes, it was a bunch of lavender that he held under my nose. It had a calming effect. "You can crumble this into the washing water," he urged me.
And before I knew it, I was part of his spectacle. He scattered bright flowers from an organza bag into the air, which trickled down on us and giggled softly.
As some of them stuck to his chin, he remembered that he hadn't shaved yet. His new accomplice had thrown him off his game.
Now I saw him properly for the first time. Oakmoss green eyes. Yes, he was as likeable as his nature.

After the work was done, he invited me to sit next to him on a wooden bench. The laundry fluttered around us like white pennants at a festival in Sicily. We drank diluted lemon juice and enjoyed the lavender soap air caressing our faces.

Tomorrow I will bring my dirty laundry.

Hortus. A masculine fragrance for me. It opens citrusy, fresh and green. I love lavender in fragrances. I find it gives an attractive note, a depth to it. The first thought that overcame the top and heart notes: a pleasant aftershave.
Slightly soapy and a slight hint of powderiness from the violet in the transition to the heart note.
I would be lying if I said I could smell the flowers it contains. I would have guessed juniper or something coniferous.
The sweetness is so minimal that it almost goes unnoticed. I would rather say the scent is tart. But not rough. Thought of pepper, but that's not listed either. It must be osmanthus and oakmoss. Woods ground and make it warmer towards the end.
Longevity is actually decent on my usually hungry skin, over 7 hours now and still lasting. Sillage was also quite good.
I can definitely imagine the fragrance on a man. However, a little sweetness wouldn't have done it any harm.

Update: After 9 hours, it is slowly starting to wear off. This guy has stamina.

Thank you Parfumo for the chance to test the fragrance.