a summer notebook

Written By Briar Winters
pink roses bloom profusely in a lush community garden setting, with a tall tree in the background, on a cloudy day

The quiet days of summer have arrived. A certain stillness drapes across the city on the weekends. Thunderstorms bluster through. Soaking rain, searing heat, fireflies. The garden is lush and gorgeous. Every evening, I place tea leaves and herbs in a jar with cool water and leave it in the fridge overnight. Or if it's a little more temperate, I pour hot water over our hibiscus rose blend and leave it out to alchemize. To be strained over ice in the morning, to be carried along in a thermos throughout the day. A way to stay cool, yes, but also a way to stay connected to the plants as I wend my way through steamy city streets.

In the overheated tenement apartments, in the drafty old lofts, certainly I'm not the only one drinking a cool infusion on a hot summer day as I work, before making my way down the stairs to the park in the evening, to the garden to water. To the stoop or the pier to enjoy a little dinner in the barely perceptible breeze. These days require a different pace, a deliberate slowness. I tuck that lesson into the pocket of my dress and climb back up the stairs.

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find our summer tea guide, here

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above, clockwise from top left:

just a few of the roses at 6&B this year

our limited-edition rose, cardamom & sandalwood extrait (so thrilled to share this new blend with you!)

summer cold-brew tea blend on the way into jars

the new rose & hibiscus iced tisane

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listening:

to our summer playlist

to the new Julie Byrne album

to Elis & Tom

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reading:

making wine out of flowers

these important reflections on the state of green beauty from Amanda at A.S. Apothecary

a dress that feels like roses

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After the recent disappearance of several crucial raw materials, I’m beyond delighted to reintroduce our botanical no. 4 this season! A lush green scent with a floral heart, no. 4 is crafted from precious natural botanical oils, resins, and absolutes in a base of organic artisan grape alcohol.

top notes: yuzu, sweet fennel, galbanum

heart notes: petitgrain sur fleurs, ginger lily, ylang ylang, neroli

base notes: orris, galbanum, ambrette seed

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below, clockwise from top left:

our St. John’s Wort in full summer solstice bloom

cooling off in the studio with a bowl of watermelon & a glass of carrot juice

the gloriously golden Rudbeckia hirta

Echinacea purpurea, monarda fistulosa and Eryngium yuccifolium glowing together in the early evening light

the new edition of our botanical perfume no. 4

in a lush community garden setting, a blooming St. John's wort shrub with narrow green leaves and clusters of bright yellow flowers with deep golden centers
a view from above of the corner of an artist's table scattered with scraps of paper and paint markings, a white milk glass tumbler is filled with orange carrot juice and a ceramic dish is filled with bright red watermelon chunks
in a lush green community garden setting, a deep golden daisy-like flower with a dark brown center blooms, surrounded by green leaves
seen from above in a lush green community garden setting, purple echinacea blooms and the silvery spiked ball shaped blooms of the eryngium yuccifolium mingle

The garden is deeply lush, with so many of our native wildflowers at the their peak. I was heartened to come across this interview by Anne Helen Petersen with Allyson Greenlon this season about a more welcoming approach to gardening with native plants. A much-needed perspective, I think. And I so appreciated this recent piece on native roses. Also: a comprehensive guide to the wild bees of New York!

below:

distilling more of our beloved rose geranium hydrosol in the garden, find it here

sending these vintage treasures off to new homes, filled with botanical perfume

another marvelous native honeysuckle clambering over the fence at 6&B

bringing a little bit of golden summer energy to my worktable with a simple bouquet of sunflowers

on a wooden table in a lush green community garden setting, sits an electric induction stove unit holding a round copper still, used to make botanical hydrosols
against a white wall, several stacked shelves on my studio worktable holding labels and office supplies, with a silver tray on top of a drawer unit with a vase of sunflowers, various postcards are tacked to the wall
against a white wall, a white person's hand holds a vintage botanical perfume balm compact that's white with gold accents and a red ladybug design in one corner, the perfume balm inside is a golden color
looking up at the top of the fence around a community garden toward the dusky sky, a honeysuckle vine blooms with bright orange and red flowers and green leaves
seen from above, a look inside the copper still, filled with water and green rose geranium leaves waiting to be distilled into hydrosol
against a white wall, a white marble shelf sits on a dark wooden table, holding a white gift bag with a white mother of pearl vintage botanical perfume vial with gold accents, pink rose petals sit alongside

For a few years now, I’ve been working on a new scent that I hope to be able to share with you soon. Below, you’ll see trays holding just a few of the drafts this one has been through. Some perfume projects are much simpler and come together quickly, and some take even longer than this one has! It’s really a matter of being led by the raw materials and allowing for however much time seems to be needed. It is a process that can never be rushed.

at dusk, in a lush dark green community garden setting, a purple echinacea plant blooms, with narrow purple petals and an orange spiky flower center, with green leaves all around
a perfumer's worktable seen from above with many small bottles and jars and post it notes filled with notations, a grey vintage typewriter sits to the right
a bright studio workspace with white walls, light floors and two large windows over a blue slipcovered midcentury couch, a vintage white cabinet and wooden worktable are to the left, white tin ceiling above, the space is filled with plants
in a new york city community garden, looking up from under a lush green plant with blue flowers toward the tops of old tenement buildings and the sky
 

above, clockwise from top left:

a very good year for our echinaceas

the strong summer light coming in our studio windows

truly a favorite of mine, the otherworldly blue of the native Scutellaria incana

something special in progress

a bright studio workspace view of a white vintage hutch cabinet with glass windows, next to a wooden table with white marble jars filled with tea, plants on every surface, light coming in from a window on the right
in a lush green new york city community garden setting, with a tree stump in the background, yellow daisy-like flowers with dark centers bloom, surrounded by green leaves
seen from above on a white marble surface in dappled sunlight, 4 white cotton gift bags hold 4 different vintage solid perfume balm compacts with various gold accents and designs, each bag has a white letterpress tag
on a cloudy day in a new york city community garden, the grey green glaucous foliage of the new york ironweed holds up small purple blooms, the plant is tall, maybe 6 feet high against the trees and sky
a perfumer's wooden worktable, decorative rug and chair seen from above, with trays full of bottles of oils and essences, and a scale for weighing them, a page of notes and a pen sit on the table
 

more summertimes

journal
late august in the studio + in the garden
late august in the studio + in the garden

A shift is in the air. Shorter evenings catch me by surprise. The studio fills with freshly harvested botanicals and bustles with activity as we prepare for the cooler months ahead.

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early august in the garden
early august in the garden

A particularly beautiful moment in the native plant beds these past few weeks. Delicate shades of pinks and purples before the golden blaze of the late summer goldenrods and sneezeweeds.

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late july in the studio + in the garden
late july in the studio + in the garden

Recovering from the heat wave. I kept my errands to a minimum, content with my little routine of walking from home to studio to garden and back again.

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summer tea, three ways
summer tea, three ways

We’re having a very hot week here in NYC, so I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to enjoy our teas in the summer without steaming up the kitchen!

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early july in the studio
early july in the studio

The light that breaks through after a sudden thunderstorm, though the last few weeks have been dry, with garden requiring endless watering. We could use some rain!

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midsummer in the studio + in the garden
midsummer in the studio + in the garden

The heart of the year, the longest days. I’ve stayed busy in the studio preparing the summer collection, which I look forward to offering each year.

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june in the studio
june in the studio

June has arrived in the city like an unruly rose clambering over a chain link fence. Stormy and sunny, both.

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roses of the lower east side
roses of the lower east side

Just a few of the many roses in the neighborhood, in a collection of photos from over the years, to celebrate the season. All this beauty somehow clambering over fences and thriving in once-vacant lots.

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a popsicle recipe from the archives
a popsicle recipe from the archives

It seemed like a good moment to bring this recipe back from one of the past editions of my newsletter, given the sweltering temperatures in the city this last week.

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musings in the garden at the beginning of another hurricane season
musings in the garden at the beginning of another hurricane season

This is one of our native plant beds at 6th & B Garden. It grows more lush and intricate each year and attracts a beautiful variety of birds and pollinating insects…

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Briar Winters
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