Pine Marten Post #3
Hello lovely person, and welcome!
I’m excited to share my deeply sensory world with you. Using your senses more is a fantastic way to connect fully with the world around you. And in doing so, you may feel calmer and more grounded.
Gardening tips
Why do gardeners get so excited in September?
Yes, it might be organising returning to school for lots of people, or packing kids off to university for others, but for gardeners, September means one thing only, and that’s choosing bulbs to plant this autumn which’ll flower next spring.
Gardening is a pastime that teaches you a lot. And one of the great things about bulb planting is that, like seed sowing, it offers hope.
From these dry, papery bulbs you push into cold, soggy soil in the rapidly cooling and darkening days before winter, you’ll get beautiful blooms eagerly thrusting their way towards the sun in spring.
The light will return, folks. You need to believe that. We all do.
Daffodils? Tulips? Alliums? What bulbs would you like to plant now to enjoy in spring?
In need of some encouragement or inspiration for your garden ideas? Why not book a Tiny Garden consultation?
Fragrant musings from the library of scent - Every Storm a Serenade by Imaginary Authors
A bracing blast of icy sea spray sparkles and dances along the shoreline. Deep green forests whisper in the breeze.
Top notes
Every Storm a Serenade opens bright and fresh, like throwing open the windows on a clear morning after a long night. Crisp citrus breathes new life into the day.
Heart notes
Gradually warming forests offer different scents of green: silvery mint eucalyptus, clean birch and resinous spruce.
Base notes
And the sun breaks through with a triumphant jig of ambergris and vetiver. Reassuring and comforting.
Sensory impressions
A deserted windswept beach backed by rippled sand dunes and dark forests.
The roar of the tumbling breakers drowns out your troubled thoughts.
Salty sea spray kisses your tired cheek
Whisper thin tissue of grey cloud
Feet crunch on the shingle
Wheeling, shrieking gull
Bright eucalyptus tang,
Spruce,
Birch,
As the sun reaches the treetops
And
Warms
Wear this if you want to feel…
Consoled, cleansed, optimistic
Nature notes for the month
Clusters of elderberry beads shine languid in the warmth,
Steely blue swallows cluster, shrieking excitedly as they swap travel plans,
A tiny iridescent beetle makes its stately way across the dusty path
as the plangent call of a curlew rings around the hills.
Molten copper sunsets bathe infant shoots of winter wheat with
flashes of flickering light.
Crashing, gushing, foaming——weekend rain recharges the peat brown waterfall as it storms down stone slabs
Sweet, sweet scent of amethyst heather sweeps up and
over dips and peaks.
Beneath the stooping, beseeching arms of inky pines
Two deadly mushrooms tremble.
Featured bean-to-bar chocolate Krak - Colombia Sierra Nevada 55% cacao milk chocolate
Tasting notes:
Bright, red brown in colour, and very glossy. Lashings of maple syrup, dollops of damson and plum, a burst of blackberry, and a tiny hint of cinnamon and treacle.
Krak is run by an expert pastry chef, who’s honed his skills working in two and three star Michelin restaurants. Krak only make chocolate in small batches, and insist on paying their cacao producers a fair price. Having made outstanding chocolate for a decade now, they’re starting to win awards for their exceptional work.
Random Scottish fact
Scotland is still full of castles. They’re absolutely everywhere. Even though there aren’t the 3,000 thought to have existed over the years, you’re never far from one.
One of my recent discoveries is Culzean Castle in Ayrshire. Built into a cliff, looking out onto the Firth of Clyde in South West Scotland, it’s truly impressive.
Mainly, I went for the walk south from Croy beach, so you first glimpse the castle as if you’re coming from the sea. And then you enter the fabulous grounds, richly planted with statuesque beech trees and towering pines.
The glorious gardens are well worth visiting. A tranquil walled area captures and magnifies the scent of fragrant shrubs and roses where abundant vegetables grow plump in the Ayrshire sun.
On the blog:
Thinking about adding some more colour and texture to your garden? Hardy perennials are one of the most cost-effective ways of filling your garden with foliage and flowers.
Here are my top 17 hardy perennials for you to choose from...
Looking for superb quality outdoor plants? Some chain garden centres have disappointing specimens.
These are my recommended suppliers of top quality plants...
Photo credits: Rowan Ambrose
Illustration credits: Imogen Oakes
I'd love to hear about what sensory experiences bring you joy.
Feel free to reply to this email, or you can message me on Instagram or LinkedIn.