Welcome to October and our new home (& garden) here on Substack…
I hope your October has started well? It’s been a busy start to the month for me already! I’m so excited about this new platform and merging all of my flowery Willow world with The Seedling. Thank you for all your enthusiasm and support coming across to join me. It means the world to me.
It can sometimes feel a bit confusing with a new platform, so I just wanted to make it clear that you will still receive monthly Seedling emails like this one for free each month which also includes some extra content for our paid subscribers (in this edition, the extra bits are 6 more Willow Loves and a ‘western’ inspired fashion edit). You will always have the option to upgrade to a paid subscription to get more from us each week - articles, videos, community chat & more…
This month (in fact next week!) we are launching our Christmas collection for my shop. We shot it at home last week and it got us all in the mood - I’m dying to share! I know it’s early but gosh there are so many pretty things to make your home twinkle through winter…
But for now, it’s Autumn, there is sunshine after the rain, and lots to be excited about…
Happy October!
Lots of Love,
October Flowery How-To
An airy, colourful ‘heaven in a bowl’ autumn arrangement, to bring colour and life to the indoors where you’re bound to be much more this month.
My obsession with nasturtiums is still going strong and miraculously I still have some left even after the slugs have gone to town on them.
Using just four flower ingredients -
Nasturtiums
Pelargonium
Acidanthera
Cosmos
I love a footed bowl (we have some in the shop here). I love the way the flowers spill onto the table making it a little more wild and free.
Simply add water to the bowl and pop a medium sized flower frog ( we sell them here but you can get easily).
Start arranging with the nasturtium leaf first, building your shape, letting them spill out over the side of the bowl and spiking them onto the frog as you go. Order wise, I generally add the biggest flowers first but there’s no right or wrong here, go with what you’re drawn to.
Don’t feel that you need to cram the bowl full. We want it to feel airy and light and let the flowers be able to move as they age. To make them last as long as you can, keep them away from direct heat - so no radiators please!
Chocolate Orange Mousse Recipe
from Margie Nomura of Desert Island Dishes
A deliciously rich chocolate mousse with a touch of orange and an (optional) brown sugar meringue topping piled high.
Hosting a dinner party or Sunday lunch this month? Here’s your inspiration.
This is such an easy dessert recipe and takes less than 30 minutes to make. You can relax (or set the table!) whilst it chills in the fridge. Then you can add the optional meringue when ready to serve. It looks really impressive when torching the meringue and it’s quite a fun one to do with your guests at the table.
Ingredients
250g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces
140ml double cream
2 large yolks
zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp orange juice
6 large egg whites
40g caster sugar
salt
For the brown sugar meringue
4 egg whites
220g soft light brown sugar
Instructions
For the mousse
Carefully cut the top off 6 oranges and scoop out them out, scraping the sides. Save the juice.
Place the chocolate in a large bowl and heat over a pan of simmering water (taking care that the bowl doesn’t touch the water beneath) until nearly melted or pop in the microwave for 30 second bursts until nearly melted. Stir well each time you remove from the microwave after a 30 second burst.
Add the cream to a saucepan and place over gentle medium heat. Heat the cream to just a gentle simmer with small bubbles foaming at the edge but not boiling.
Add the warm cream to the semi-melted chocolate and stir until it’s smooth and glossy.
Allow to cool a little, then stir in the egg yolk, orange zest and orange juice.
Beat the whites with an electric whisk until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar and beat again until glossy.
Using a metal spoon, carefully fold a large spoon of egg whites in to the chocolate mix, and beat together. This will loosen it. Then pour this chocolate mixture into the rest of the egg whites and fold together gently, avoiding knocking any air out of the whites.
Nestle the oranges into a baking dish so that they stay upright. Pour the mousse into the oranges. Or pour mousse into a large bowl and leave to set in the fridge. The oranges will need less time to set, around 4 hours to overnight whereas the large bowl will need at least 8 hours to overnight.
For the meringue
This is totally optional but I thought it looked gorgeous and added an extra element to the mousse and made it a little more original.
Add the egg whites to a large, clean bowl and whisk until foamy and bubbly. Then add the soft light brown sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking well in between. Keep going until all the sugar is added and the meringue is smooth and glossy. If you pinch a little meringue mixture between your fingers, you shouldn’t feel any grains of sugar. You want it totally dissolved.
Pipe on top of the chocolate mousse or spoon and smooth. Then use a blowtorch to brown the top and set it slightly.
Enjoy immediately…
An alternative way of serving (we love this!)
If you like the idea of the chocolate orange mousse but don't want to bother with scooping out the oranges or making the meringue, then this is another really lovely way of serving it. Just pour into bowls and let it set. Top with fresh fruit, some whipped double cream and a scattering of edible flowers if you have them. So pretty and so delicious!
For more of Margie Nomura's wonderful recipes visit Desert Island Dinners, follow @desertislanddishes & subscribe to her substack, Dinner Tonight.
Please let us know in the comments if you’ve tried this or plan to!
Arts & Culture
What to watch, visit & plan this month…
Our Christmas tabletop collection launches next weekend! Mark your diaries for 12th October, we cannot wait to share the festive joy!
Visit Van Gogh - Poets & Lovers at The National Gallery
Book ahead for The Nutcracker ballet at Royal Albert Hall
Go to the Francis Bacon exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery
Visit LA based artist Lauren Hasley’s exhibition at The Serpentine Gallery from 11 October
The Great British Bake Off returns with a new series - plan a Tuesday night in…
See Steve Coogan in Dr Strangelove at Noël Coward Theatre from the 8th October
Clocks go back on Sunday 27th but do not despair - it means an extra hour in bed and ample opportunity to light candles and get cosy…
Willow Loves…
This month I am…
Pulling out the knitwear and upgrading with this heart patch cashmere cardigan from Jumper 1234
Living, literally, in these Mother Denim half pipe jeans. The perfect shape and oh-so-comfortable
Dreaming of the leopard Mercer coat from Wiggy Kit’s incredible new collection
Bathing in geranium leaf bliss with C.Atherley’s dreamy bubble bath for cosy nights in
Arranging in my new favourite high footed bowl, a few left in our online store
Loving all of the Matilda Goad x Margaux collection - so hard to choose but this chocolate with pale blue combination could be my fave…