Pine Marten Post #8
Hello lovely person!
February frolics for you include; glossy green house plants, a fragrant and elegant club, sparkling snowdrops, chocolate from my bathroom, and... which wild animal does fruity poos?
Gardening tips for (very) early spring
Gardening can be an indoor activity as well as an outdoor one. How are your house plants looking? With longer days and more light, they could need slightly different care.
If they're putting on new growth, you might need to water them more often.
And if you're running the central heating regularly, most house plants love a generous misting.
Interested in more easy care house plant recommendations?
Here are my top 5 to boost your wellbeing.
Fragrant musings from the library of scent: 1740 by Histoires de Parfums
Spicy, warm and inviting, 1740 by Histoires de Parfums soothes and comforts with reassuring hints of vanilla and old leather. A perfect scent to wear on a dark, damp day when you need an olfactory hug.
Top Notes
Bright bergamot gently lifts and balances the warm perfume of 1740. Fresh green davana offers an enticing bitterness.
Heart notes
Tantalising cardamom emerges next, playfully blended with a citrus breath of coriander.
Base notes
All the cosy warmth is here now. A chorus of rich woody aromas; cedar, sandalwood and birch. A smack of vanilla leather, but not sugar-sweet.
Sensory impressions
An old-fashioned gentleman’s club with an inclusivity policy.
Cherished leather bound books.
Club fenders and pipe tobacco.
Warm, murmuring voices.
Crackling wood fire.
A soft chuckle.
Wear this if you want to feel…
Nurtured, comforted, enriched
Nature notes for February
Milky nodding heads
above iron earth —
tiny drops of
pure
white
hope.
Blissful bean-to-bar chocolate review: Bare Bones Honduras 60% milk chocolate
⭐Shiny, deep purple/brown, breaks with a crisp snap
⭐Bright, juicy, ripe mulberry and blackberry fruits. A sprinkling of dark brown muscovado sugar with a hint of woodsmoke and a drizzle of maple syrup.
⭐This bar has it all. Simply one of the most complex chocolate bars I’ve tried in ages.
Hats off to Lara and Cameron at Bare Bones—they're creating some of the most distinctive chocolate in the bean-to-bar world.
If you're ever in Glasgow, they have the most beautiful workshop where you can greedily gulp their magnificent hot chocolate with hand made marshmallows. And buy their bars.
PS I love this chocolate so much, I painted the bathroom to match the soft, Scandi pink wrapper.
PPS The latest batch of this stunning chocolate is actually 55%—not sure why the change.
Random Scottish facts: perky pine martens
Cute and cuddly to look at, but secretly very fierce, pine martens are making a welcome comeback in Scotland.
When we holidayed in a very wild and remote part of Scotland, we spent an afternoon waiting patiently in a local hide looking for these elusive wee creatures. Hours and hours we tried to keep still and quiet. But they stayed hidden.
Later that day, when we were eating supper at our holiday cottage, we spotted a sleek, yet fluffy creature climbing up the bird table. And sure enough it was a pine marten hoovering up the bird seed. We spent the rest of the evening watching it scampering over the log store and finding (apparently) tasty treats in unexpected places.
As they gorge themselves on forest berries in the summer, their poo smells fruity. Strange but true.
On the blog and LinkedIn:
Searching for glimmers in February
Easy to grow seeds for nervous plant parents:borage
How many cups of fancy coffee does it cost to start gardening?
3 super easy ways to make the most of being a freelancer
All products mentioned here are paid for by me, Rowan Ambrose. As you can probably tell, the wibbly photos are mine. Professional ones are credited.
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.