Hello lovely person!

August antics include; easy garden eco boosts, crisp citrus scent, a whirring warbler, fishy chocolate, and how’s your breathing these days?

Gardening tips for August

What’s the easiest way to give your garden a terrific eco boost?

According to The Bumblebee Trust, 2024 was the worst year for bumblebees since records began.

And the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme said that 31 of 59 species have had their numbers fall since 1976, when monitoring began.

So, yeah, things aren’t looking great for our wee pollinator friends in the UK. And we are completely dependent on pollinators for our food. Put starkly: no pollinators, no food.

But there is hope. By planting and nurturing food sources for pollinators, you can help. You really can. Even the tiniest spaces can be planted up to offer pollen, nectar and shelter for these precious creatures. Front door steps, back yards and balconies are perhaps not the obvious places for creating pollinator feasts, but they can work brilliantly. And if you have a larger space, then you can go wild with your pollinator friendly planting.

The trick - as always with gardening - is to know what to plant.

And that’s where I can help you.

I’m launching a new garden service. It’s the easiest way for you to give your garden - whatever size - a terrific eco boost.

~ 12 of the best pollinator friendly plants in a full colour flowering calender

~ all easy care, low maintenance plants for minimum faffing

~ native plants included for maximum insect satisfaction

~ evergreen plants included for year round interest

~ fragrant plants you can use in cooking

~ simple hints and tips on nurturing your new plant babies

~ my top recommendations for tried and trusted suppliers

~ how to grow your own plant feed ( saves you £££)

~ a one hour Zoom chat with me so you can ask all your gardening questions

All for £100.

Find out more about my garden consultations

Fragrant musings from the library of scent: Note de Yuzu by Heeley

Heat haze covers the city. A fuzzy, clammy blanket of thick, oppressive air. There’s no breeze at all, not even on the balcony of your smart high-rise apartment. 

In desperation, you open your fridge and peer at the contents, relishing the icy blast on your bare stomach. Grabbing some fruit, you take a small knife and a smooth wooden chopping board. You press the sharp tip of the blade and plunge it into the bumpy skin of a grapefruit.

Zingy, tangy, mouthwatering pearls of freshness exuberantly bounce over your kitchen counter. You breathe deeply and sigh in relief. Squeezing the shells of the fruits into a frosted glass, you close your eyes, tilt your head back and gulp the fragrant juice. 

Eyes still closed, you picture freshly picked herbs falling from the sky. A twist of lime and a sprig of mint. Tiny white flowers tumble.

Sometimes we just need a moment’s respite.

Nature notes for August

A pheasant squawks like a rusty gate creaking open
Silken tassels of creeping thistle puff and blow to fill fairy duvets
The golden beaks of meadow vetchling peck at the fragrant air
Five sleek geese fly over, honking
Sedge warbler whirrs and chirrs
Tall spires of jolting violet rosebay willowherb swaying and humming with feasting bees

Honeysuckle tridents breathe scents of clove and nutmeg custard—impossibly delicious.

Featured chocolate: Chocolate sardines by Simon Coll

When I went to Barcelona, I had all kinds of ideas about the city. And most of them fitted with my preconceptions, although it was most definitely more beautiful than I expected.

What I wasn’t expecting though, was the abundance of top quality chocolate. Truly, astonishingly good.

So when I was given these cute wee chocolate sardines, I thought they were just a bit of fun. Until I spotted the brand on the packaging: Simón Coll, a family business founded in 1840, in Barcelona.

⭐ Mid brown, with shiny fish scales carved into the top

⭐ Very sweet, milky and a pronounced vanilla note

⭐ A surprisingly clean finish, rounded and subtle.

Wellbeing tip

Have you taken time to breathe today?

However your week is shaping up, remember to take time to breathe.
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Slowly breathe in.
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Hold for a couple of seconds.
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Then gently breathe out.
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Just like the waves at the beach.
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And repeat a few times.
~
How about giving it a try?

On the blog and LinkedIn:

Lovely words from one of my clients.

Slowly sagging in the heat? How about some fragrant refreshment?

The simple joys of sensory saunters.

⭐ As ever, all wibbly words and photos are by me, Rowan Ambrose. Thanks for spending this time with me! ⭐