May marvels include; triumphant tulips, citrussy scent, serene swans, cheers m’dears, and London larks.

Gardening tips for May

Ah, tulips. Aren’t they magnificent? Even though my priorities for gardening are for pollinator friendly, wildlife-habitat-creating plants, I can’t resist a jolly jumble of tulips for spring.

I buy mine from Peter Nyssen (not sponsored) in late summer, then plant them late autumn. Planting the bulbs in pots suits me well, as I can move them around to catch the sun, and out of the wind if it gets stormy while they’re flowering.

My tulip choices are also at direct odds with my usual tranquil colour combinations. Maybe there’s something about their bold, sashaying charm that pushes me out of my comfort zone. And this year’s display really was bold, as you can see.

Are you a tulip lover too?

Fragrant musings from the library of scent: Cologne: Orange by Olfiction

Not the sexiest photo to be sure. But there are difficult times that can be made a fraction easier by wearing a carefully chosen perfume. And this was one.

I first wore Cologne: Orange by @olfictionlimited on a very long train journey from London to Glasgow. My carriage was hot, stuffy and smelled of densely packed humanity.

So, what did I do? I sprayed a very subtle burst of this magnificent perfume onto my wrist. And, oh what a difference it made.

It felt like I was actually in a sunlit orange grove, and nestling among soft green herbs for a wee nap.

I imagine it’s like what an original cologne smelled like, almost medicinal, not in a pungent and scary way, but you can almost feel it physically lifting your spirits; shouldering your burdens and opening your eyes to beauty even if you’re struggling. Along with P.G Wodehouse books, this should be available on the NHS. Bloody marvellous stuff.

Nature notes for May

A fat moon begins the month, ripe and full it glows over

the golden gorse wallowing in warm sun, its tiny cups exhaling

toasted coconut and vanilla goodness.

Silvery swans take turns to sit on their broad nest

made comfy with last year’s supple reeds, while

scything swallows swoop low over the flooded quarry, twittering and gossiping, then gorging themselves on

invisible insects.

Perky goldfinches shred dandelion clocks, their

brightly marked faces lost in a cloud of fluff.

Low alcohol beer: Faith Hazy Pale Ale by Northern Monk

Fancy a refreshing beer without a fuzzy head?

With the marvellously sunny weather we’ve been having in Scotland, I’ve been craving something crisp and fruity to drink.

And Faith 0.5% abv by Northern Monk absolutely hits the spot. With zesty grapefruit and juicy pineapple notes, it’s like drinking Lilt, but without that syrupy sweetness. Instead there’s a fragrant and dry hoppiness that makes this a superbly invigorating drink.

If your tastes run to full fat beer, you can find terrific reviews by @themodernpint so I’d take a peek at their account.

What drinks have been tickling your tastebuds in the sunshine?

Simple wellbeing tip

In praise of frozen sweet stuff: Darlish Ice Cream

I’ve been working in London for a few days, again, and this time I prioritised eating and drinking better. Last time I went, I had a very crowded schedule with meetings and events at tricky times, didn’t make time for food, and ended up feeling grumpy, tired and overwhelmed.

This time I fared much better, and even took an afternoon off to wander around east London, where I stumbled across Darlish Ice Cream in Spitalfields.

And, oh my goodness, how hard was it to choose what to have? So many tempting flavour combinations. I settled on saffron, rose and pistachio which made me all kinds of happy. The saffron was fragrantly spicy, the rose petals were succulently silky, and the pistachio niblets added a lovely chewy crunch. SO much joy for less than £5.

I’d love to hear your ice cream and gelato parlour recommendations. What’s one of your favourite places?

On the blog:

What’s in your fragrance first aid kit?

⭐ As usual, all wibbly words and photos are by me, Rowan Ambrose. The perfume mentioned was very kindly gifted by the brand, and the beer was a lovely present from someone in my family—thank you! ⭐