It took me only 41 years to find a good purpose for the tureen…Soil to Table with The Land Gardeners!
Hello everyone,
My oh my what a whirlwind the spring has been so far! From Kitchen Gardening to Field of Flowers, Spring Perfumery and Art of Distillation Workshops (each a heady and floralific experience unique to its day); then last Friday’s Soil to Table with The Land Gardeners. It’s been a stimulating season of cooking, distilling and sharing…bountiful food, scents, knowledge, ideas and conversation.
Now whilst we’re not yet at the end of the year and this is not a wrap, there are a few things I’d like to pop on your radar!
First, as we ran out of copies of The Land Gardeners’ exquisite new book Soil to Table on Friday (with so many pre-orders I thought one more box in the Barn ought to cover any impulse purchasing on the day, but apparently not!) I’m arranging with the girls to order in some more. If you would like to collect one from me here in the lead-up to Christmas, please send me a quick message as it would be enormously helpful in deciding how many to ask for (you know I don’t usually open the Barn outside of event days but am happy to do so by appointment…especially at this upcoming time of year).
Next…it’s time to release this season’s Botanical Waters! The new Rose Geranium, captured in those glorious ‘sprinter’ days is crisp and clear and pure delight to spritz for a quick pick-me-up. The new season’s Orange Blossom is simply swoon-worthy! Given the fine weather during Orange Blossom time, I was able to carry out a couple of extra distillations this year (think of me balanced precariously in the branches of an orange tree on those early spring mornings, picking each individual blossom as the bees brushed my cheeks). As a result, I’m happy to release Orange Blossom in 35ml atomisers this year alongside the 10ml, to bring it in line with the other two Botanical Waters. The Lavender is still simply glorious…although captured last summer, I’ve no hesitation in bottling it for you too. It holds all the promise of transporting you in your mind to a sun-baked field in Provence! We’ll soon be coming up to the next Lavender Harvest Workshops and I have a list on the go so if you’d like to join in, please drop me a line here. I have a funny feeling these will take place in mid-December this year…as the entire unfurling of this season’s garden has been early.
At last…the long awaited Aprons are back in stock! There are not a huge number. I’ve had them made in a slightly different linen from the old ones and they’ve made up beautifully. I’ll aim to get a pic onto insta for you to see as I’ve chosen four different colours and love each and every one of them!
So there are a few extra good excuses to draw you here if you’d like to order a copy of Soil to Table to collect before Christmas: Botanical Water, an apron…dress, a hat perhaps? Along with wooden-handled secateurs, my favourite linen tea towels, a vase shelf in homage to The Land Gardeners’ Cut Flowers and various other bibs & bobs. And yes…if you come to collect, you can have a little pootle around the garden!
Please just let me know if you’d like a copy by 5pm next Monday evening so I can place my order for Soil to Table as it will most probably take a couple of weeks for the books to arrive. Of course this time around they won’t be signed but even so…the girls were here!
On another note…I agreed to take a stall at the Iris Country Fair on Saturday 18 November (old times sake?) at Frensham, Range Road, Mittagong 9am – 4pm. I will only take pre-ordered bottles of Botanical Water with me, so if you’re coming to the fair and would like to order a Botanical Water or two to collect there, please let me know by 5pm next Wednesday 15 November so I have plenty of time to bottle before loading up the car. The fair has always been huge, with a vast array of stall holders and some fun in store. I’d love to see you there too!
Ooooh and one more thing…Larry’s book WHY YOU? (Why listen to, work with and follow you…) was launched in Sydney last week (London this week). I have copies here in the Barn and if you’d like to pick one up, I know Larry would be very happy to sign it for you!
With very best wishes and in hope of seeing you in the coming weeks,
Mickey
ps I think there are just a few spots left at Lean Timms’ beautiful food, storytelling and photography workshop here with Danielle Alvarez and me on 25/26 November. Most unusually for an event here, I’m neither taking the bookings nor pulling the strings…Lean is curating the weekend but I know her workshops are magic (hence agreeing to her proposal) and if you’re keen to improve your photography skills and to immerse in her world of visual storytelling…in this instance, the garden and buildings here will be your canvas. I have a feeling it’s going be an exquisite weekend.
