We've had the most amazing weather up here in Harris, wall to wall sunshine, blue skies and barely a breath of wind. Our little shop has been busy with visitors and islanders out for a spin. It's so nice to see people after months of quiet. The Banjo effect continues with people so delighted to see the Apothecary after its redesign. We're not quite able to offer Rose face planting quite yet but another couple of months and you can form an orderly queue.
As usual the minute people start arriving the greenhouse plants leap into life and so do the bugs. My current morning activity is to walk up and down the beds of Roses squishing greenfly - it is gross but necessary work. Organic means exactly that, no pesticides or herbicides. I do sometimes use a solution of our soap which they don't like but squishing is definitely the most effective method.
Last year I bought ladybird larvae hoping they would make a dent in the greenfly - various delays in the parcel meant that they had all been snacking on each other so rather than 100 in the tube there were about 10 fat ones and 1 which was huge. None survived which I was sad about.
I talk often about the Roses because they are the plants that have to do well each year because they are in virtually every product we make from Skincare, to Wild Eve, Tinctures to Teas there is Rose in everything. They are such a precious plant. We have more than 10 varieties to offer different scent and flavour profiles, with one, Sceptered Isle, providing a beautiful Myrrh fragrance which in moderation is absolutely lovely.
Today I ground up a couple of kilos of our Rose petals, Chamomile, Oat tops and Calendula plus 500g of Pink Peppers and 5kg of Ceremonial Cacao - the air was filled with all those florals and spice and that unmistakable chocolatey scent. It's so different to normal cocoa or chocolate, so much more intense. I started weighing it all out, mixing it first by hand in my big wide tea blending bowl and then in the mixer.
The Sleep Ritual is gradually moving towards completion, each part has to be perfect before we launch it, so every day I'm tinkering with the Serene Sleep Balm to get the texture and finish exactly as I want it. Sometimes I think it's there and then the next day I realise there's more to do.
The labels for the little Sleep Ritual refill packs arrived today and hopefully the actual jar labels will be with us very soon too. They are really stunning. I can't wait to share them.
Tomorrow I'll make up more of the Wild Gorse & Bee Pollen Exfoliating Grains as Alexander arrived into work with a big bag of Gorse flowers straight from the bushes over in Scalpay. It is so pleasing to pick the Gorse, dry it overnight and immediately make it into the product. It is so fresh it is singing with vitality.
This month's offer is a complimentary jar of the Gorse Exfoliator with every purchase of a full size Cleansing Multi Mask. They work beautifully together. A sprinkle of the Gorse mixed into a little of the Multi Mask makes for a really gentle but effective springtime exfoliation.
This is also the moment when the Sticky Willy or Cleavers (Galium aparine) is popping up in gardens south of ours, it's a wonderful lymphatic cleanse for the body. Just put a handful of fresh leaves and stems into a jug of water before you go to bed, leave it to infuse overnight and drink it through the next day. You'll feel so much better.
2 comments
What a delicious, juicy read! Full of scent and botanic wonder x
I saw sticky Willy on my dog walk this morning, I shall pick some tomorrow and make a cold brew overnight as you recommend. All these signs of Spring and this blast of sunshine have been a real tonic. It seems the whole country has had good weather, which is wonderful.