Crabtree & Evelyn pop-up herb garden in Covent Garden

Few brands nowadays evoke feelings from times gone by, most preferring to refresh their identity so they appeal to a younger and more aspiring audience. Crabtree & Evelyn, however, have managed to firmly grasp their heritage with both hands while embracing the modernity and freshness that sells in 2013. Their shop in Covent Garden is bright and airy, containing shelves upon shelves of lotions and potions that bring a subtle scent to their customers lives. I'm a big fan of their hand creams, so it was great to get fully embraced into their collection and find out all the great secrets they have on offer. To express their passion for flowers, herbs and botanical ingredients, (as well as keeping themselves modern and relevant,) Crabtree & Evelyn have launched ‘The Avant Garden.’ The abstract pop-up herb garden will blossom on Covent Garden’s West Piazza until 9th June, celebrating over 15 years of their iconic Gardeners Hand Care Collection (which is perfect for gardening enthusiasts' hardworking hands) as well as 40 years of pioneering botanical formulations. The garden is beautiful in a rustic and unkempt way, the flowers and herbs already growing in all directions; as they bloom over the next few weeks I have no doubt this will become a real feature on the Piazza. The display also contains solar powered water features, which unfortunately were suffering from lack of daylight when I arrived, to provide another level of enjoyment for passers-by. If you pop into the shop (directly behind the garden,) you'll also see one of their latest collections on display which unintentionally brings it all together - Somerset Meadow is a refreshing and uplifting scent that smells exactly as you would expect (more on that later!) If you're around in London over the next few weeks, make sure you pop by the Crabtree & Evelyn 'Avant Garden' and have a sniff of what's on offer. It's open to everyone - regardless of your current gardener status!