Pine Marten Post #14
Hello lovely person!
August awesomeness for you includes; herb heroes, scent for sticky days, Finnish flavour fun, corking crocosmia, and lickable treats. How’s your summer going?
Gardening tips for August
If your plants have been scorching and shrivelling in the extreme heat, how about growing woody herbs like rosemary, lavender or thyme? Once established, they’re pretty drought resistant, and you’ll get to enjoy their gorgeous scented foliage for sniffing, and for your cooking too.
Rosemary is a perfect partner with lamb, but it’s also great with hearty lentil and bean dishes. If you’ve never cooked with lavender, you could try infusing a sprig in milk, warming it, then adding a few tablespoonfuls to a classic sponge cake recipe for a tiny whisper of aromatic magic.
If you only have space for one herb, I’d go for rosemary. Brightly coniferous to smell and a wonderful source of food for early bees as it starts to flower from February. Rosemary loves a sunny spot, good drainage, and it does very well in a container.
Stuck for planting inspiration? How about booking a garden chat with me?
“I’ve used other gardening consultants but Rowan was the best by a country mile.” - Rachel, Manchester
Indoor gardening tips for August
If you’re a house-plant-parent, how about popping your indoor beauties outside next time it rains? Gentle, warm summer rain is great for house plants because it doesn’t contain the treatment chemicals or hard minerals found in tap water. The moisture on their leaves will do them good too.
Fragrant musings from the library of scent: Root of All Goodness by Parterre
A burst of dazzling ginger, a sprinkle of pepper and a crisp twist of bergamot open this stunning perfume from Parterre. Crushed herbs mingle with a smidgen of powdery violet as the real star emerges. Dorset grown vetiver weaves a richly earthy thread through the bright and beguiling aromatics, offering a tranquil depth to this classical style cologne.
Incredibly versatile, Root of All Goodness is a perfect summer perfume. Peek beneath the easy breezy top notes and you’ll find layers and layers of hidden intrigue. Very highly recommended.
Particularly excellent on hot and sticky days.
Featured bean-to-bar chocolate: Fazer Salmiakki
Have you heard of salmiakki? If not, you’re in for a treat. Well, maybe.
It’s salty liquorice. Hold on, hold on, I know that sounds very weird. But…if you think about salted caramel, it’s only a gentle shuffle away from that.
Ammonium chloride is what gives salmiakki its distinctive taste. And, while that might sound alarming to put in your mouth, remember that table salt is sodium chloride and water is dihydrogen oxide. Everything in life is made of chemicals, including you and me.
Cough medicines made from liquorice have been popular in many cultures for centuries, and when combined with ammonium chloride, it helps to release mucus better. Mmm. By the 1930s, you could buy sweets made with this fascinating combination of ingredients in Finland.
But what does it taste like?
Well, this particular variety is a gentle one. Richly smooth milk chocolate with a silky, piquant caramel-textured filling. Rounded, deeply flavoured and not too challenging.
If you find this kind of salmiakki too tame, how about trying Salta Fiskar?
Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
🖤
Nature notes for August
Goldfinches take flight, sparkling from the hedges with jam dipped faces
a pied flycatcher gleams Arctic white as it whistles over my head,
towering fuchsia fireweed feeds fat bees, bumbling and mumbling.
Spicy wild honeysuckle flowers hang on - it IS still summer - they proclaim,
hawthorn and beech sport glossy fresh Lammas growth
swirling swifts swooping, chattering swallows diving towards utterly indifferent cattle.
Fiery crocosmia glows in a clump next to a crooked, rusty gate
skittering, whirling sanderlings like clockwork toys play chicken with the foam on the incoming tide
as the last of the white rugosa roses sigh their gentle sweetness into the late summer light.
Random Scottish fact: Award winning West coast gelateria Vanilla Joe’s
Do you love gelato?
There are scores of incredible gelaterias all over Scotland, along with fantastic pizzerias too, thanks to an influx of Italians around a century ago. Can you imagine a life without gelato or pizza? Shudderingly awful, isn’t it?
Vanilla Joe’s is our local. Proud winners of Scotland’s Best Gelateria in the Scottish Italian Awards, the owner, Marco, is the great-grandson of Giuseppe Martone who came to Ayrshire from Tuscany in 1900.
You’ll always find incredible quality classic flavours like pistachio, fresh strawberry and raspberry ripple, but they also excel at making more unusual gelato too. Cue dragonfruit, Scottish tablet and billionaire Biscoff.
What would you choose?
🍨
On the blog and LinkedIn:
A simple grounding exercise for difficult times
Yes, you can be a successful gardener if you have ADHD
It all started with a terrible haiku
As always, all wibbly words are by me, Rowan Ambrose. All products mentioned are paid for by me too.
⭐ Thanks for spending this time with me——I really appreciate you! ⭐
I'd love to hear about what sensory experiences bring you joy.
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