shakespeare-themed swap

Posted on | March 26, 2008 | No Comments

i have signed up for another literary-themed swap.
these are great fun and certainly get you thinking outside the box. as it were.
shakespeare is chock full of references to plants and scents, so his work was chosen as our swap theme.

the very first shakespearian plant that sprang to my mind was samphire.
from king lear: “half way down hangs one who gathers samphire; dreadful trade!”

samphire or Crithmum maritimum, is a salty succulent that grows in tricky coastal areas.
it was called poor man’s asparagus and it sounds like it would be absolutely scrumptious simply steamed and buttered and served up with plenty of lemon and freshly cracked black pepper and a fillet of perfectly-grilled fish.
but i digress.

in mediaeval times, ashes of samphire were used to make soap and glass (it is also known as glasswort).
a little digging shows me that samphire is also known as sea fennel.
sea fennel extract is actually currently being used in some very upmarket skincare preparations.
isn’t that interesting!

well, i won’t be able to source sea fennel extract in time for this swap.
but i am sure i can compose something out of sweet fennel and seaweed extract and kelp powder.
if that truly does not pan out, then i may have to go with my next idea, which was a hand soap for lady macbeth: all the perfumes of arabia will not sweeten this little hand.
such a wonderfully anguished drama-queen line, i just adore it.
and lots of scope…jasmine, rose, citrus oils….

lots of scope too, in ophelia’s mad little speech:
There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray,
love, remember: and there is pansies. that’s for thoughts.
There’s fennel for you, and columbines: there’s rue
for you; and here’s some for me: we may call it
herb-grace o’ Sundays: O you must wear your rue with
a difference. There’s a daisy: I would give you
some violets, but they withered all when my father
died: they say he made a good end,–

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