Lemongrass, oh lemongrass! It's been my friend for years. Some people love it and some people prefer other scents more. I was never absolutely in love with it, but it was the only lemongrass fragrance we worked with that didn't smell like a cleaner!

I didn't understand Lemongrass. That's hard to admit as a 21-year-old entrepreneur (23 years ago), just trying to make a product that makes people happy. Half your customers, at Farmers Market, tell you they love it, but don't buy it twice. The other half smell it and leave it. But the customers online, they have an opinion; and they will, a few of them, share their thoughts. I am so grateful for those emails that tell me when there's something that needs some attention! It makes a massive difference!

At 21, my nose was not refined. Originally, I wasn't planning on becoming a company. I simply wanted to share this product I'd invented, that worked how I thought it should, and it made others smile. I didn't understand true product development, nor did I have the time, money, connections, expertise, or guidance to create true beauty with fragrance. But I didn't realize those things. I moved forward with 21 year old confidence and smiles. Connections were stronger than fragrances. Smiles, hugs and listening to our “Customer Friends” (because if you hung out with me in my booth, you were instantly my friend. You belonged!) was the most important part of the moment I had with you.

Lemongrass was one of our first fragrances. I didn't know what true lemongrass smelled like. I'm from Alaska. We grew rhubarb not these delicate beautiful flowing tall grasses.

For years, our lemongrass was a softer scent. It was a fruity scent. We managed to stay away from the soap and the cleaner type lemon scent but it wasn't pure lemongrass. It didn't capture that earthy lemon and grass fragrance that lives in that connecting part of the plant. Down where the dirt grows. It missed that depth.

When I decided it was time to remodel our fragrances, lemongrass was one of the first fragrances. It made the Short(ies) list!

First, I had to know what the plant smelled like. How can you accurately create something you don't understand? I brought Lemongrass into my world.

We had it shipped in. Only problem was, it was just the stems. These short stalks that looked a little like thick green onions, showed up at the warehouse.

Our production manager, Dani, has an incredible ability to take care of, and love plants. She's taught me a lot!

Dani brought in some soil and a green box. She used some parts from the warehouse and put together a beautiful plant box for this lemongrass to grow. She watered and we waited. The smile on our faces were huge every morning when we'd see a tiny bit more growth.

About 2 months into growing these lemongrass stalks, I was ready for harvest. It was time. The grass was 2 feet tall and lovely to walk in and see every morning.

I had requested fragrance samples from our fragrance connections. We had about 18 different scent samples. Everything was prepped. Samples were complete.

Dani and I sat on the floor of the warehouse, near our makeshift greenhouse, with samples surrounding us and nerves of excitement running through our veins and this burning question "can we get this right? Will any of these scents be a match? What work will we still need to do to improve this and create accuracy that will connect our customers with their lemongrass memories, ideas and desires?"

And then, we smelled it. The scent we'd been searching for. The perfect match to the plant sitting in the front room of our warehouse. The desired lemongrass fragrance was in my hand.

Dani and I, after refined delegation, decided we had hit the nail on the head, planted the right plant and sown the best lemongrass. We struck gold!

The scent was a match. The scent throw was incredible, the fragrance felt crisp and refreshing, and the calm and happiness it created was clear. It felt adventurous to upgrade this scent that had been with us for over 2 decades. This is the Wild Lemongrass Shortie's Candle Company would stand behind. Enjoy!

Love, Georgia...