Hello lovely person!

February frolics include; succulent salad, outstanding oud, bonkers blue tits, citrussy chocolate, and bigging up indie shops.

Gardening tips for February

If you’re starting to get fed up with the kind of stodgy food we often eat in winter, how about growing some succulent salad leaves on your windowsill? I mean, soups and stews are lovely, but sometimes my tastebuds crave something brighter and fresher to sprinkle on top or eat alongside.

Here’s the tasty mustard mix from Chiltern Seeds which you can sow right away. You just need a small pot with drainage holes, a saucer to fit underneath, a couple of handfuls of compost (remember you can buy smaller bags these days), and a packet of seeds.

These kinds of seeds germinate indoors in about 7-14 days, then you can pick the leaves when they’re tiny and sweet as microgreens for garnishes and tucking inside sandwiches, or let them grow until they’re a bit bigger to make a salad.

They are truly the easiest of tiny plants to grow. All they need is some light (but it needn’t be direct sun) and to be watered every couple of days. And if you enjoy creating your own titchy kitchen garden, there are plenty of other kinds of leaves to play with.

Fancy a plant chat with someone who’s make ALL the mistakes, then created a simpler, quicker way to garden?

Feel free to have a look at my garden advice prices…

Fragrant musings from the library of scent: Nabati Oud by Astrophil and Stella

Sensory impressions

Early evening, and the light is fading fast. Vivid coral streaked with amber slides into dusky lilac as the sun dips behind the dunes. A whispering wind dances as you ease your aching body from the saddle and drop onto soft sand.

Gasping with thirst, you pull a flask of succulent black cherry juice from your saddle bag. Sweet, juicy and refreshing, it cascades down your throat. Your spirits lift as you gaze at the rapidly emerging stars.

You chat quietly with your companions as you put up your heavy canvas tents. Someone lights a fire and the fragrant smoke weaves around your face as you drag your saddle into your tent. Flickering spices pop in a hot pan.

A long day. A huge adventure. But the promise of good food, easy company and a warm bed tonight.

Very many thanks to Kate from Wild Iris Perfumery in Brighton for the sample pictured.

Did you know that I love copywriting for small perfume brands?

Nature notes for February

If you saw my December newsletter, you might remember I introduced you to Bernard the blue tit. Well, I’m thrilled to announce (I think) that Bernard has started some kind of commune in the exterior wall of my bedroom.

Over the past few weeks, there’s been much rustling and fluttering, and occasional squawky squabbles too. I was curious to find out how many blue tits are now crammed into the wall, so I squashed my face hard up against the window to see if I could count them flying in and out. Alas, the angle was all wrong and I think I worried my neighbours.

But there are definitely three pairs, all weaving the most luxurious nests, mainly from wild hedge clippings I left for them, and the floofy buds from a willow tree we brought from our last house.

And this is where gardening can easily overlap with supporting local wildlife. Leaving some twigs on the ground from your rose or shrub pruning session could be the foundation of a nest. The little tufts on this willow tree have been feeding dozens of tits and finches over the course of the winter, and now they’re using the dropped husks for lining their cosy homes. Early bees love feasting on any floofy buds the birds have left them. So really, everyone wins.

Featured bean-to-bar chocolate: Ocelot Lemon Olive Oil 70% dark chocolate

Ocelot is a marvellous chocolate brand from Dundee in Scotland. Proud of their ethical and organic credentials, they’ve been turning out delicious bars for over ten years. And this lemon olive oil is no exception.

Bright with rounded lemon, it’s a soft and pillowy citrus flavour explosion rather than a sharp and spiky one. I imagine the olive oil’s responsible for this luxurious and velvety quality that’s rare in chocolate made without milk.

Even high cocoa chocolate haters might find themselves drawn to the dark side with this bar.

Wellbeing tip: supporting local businesses

So this is a fairly easy tip for when the world feels tricky to navigate, and it’s hard to believe that anything makes a difference.

When you’re out and about, which sorts of shops are you tempted to spend money in? Are you a coffee fiend, a bakery aficionado, or perhaps a stationery geek? If you can manage to switch buying from big chains to supporting independent stores, even spending £3 can make a difference. Small businesses are struggling now more than ever, and buying something like a birthday card from a wee shop will literally help to keep their lights on. And you’ll get the warm, fuzzy feeling of having helped someone pay their bills, rather than lining the pockets of a billionaire.

Speaking of marvellous indie shops, if you’re ever in the Scottish Borders, I’d highly recommend stopping off at The Fat Batard - Peebles. A gorgeous bakery specialising in the most magnificent sourdough bakes, I gleefully spent all my pocket money in here.

Founder and baker, Suzanne, uses locally grown and milled Mungoswells flour, so spending your cash here is supporting at least two local indie businesses.

On the blog:

Easy ways to create your own fragrant winter garden

⭐ Thanks for spending this time with me—I really appreciate it! The perfume sample was kindly gifted by Kate from Wild Iris, and the seeds, chocolate and pastry were paid for by me, Rowan Ambrose ⭐