May has to be one of my favourite months, not just because I was born on the day of Beltane, but because of all the blossoms and new growth to be found. On May the 2nd We took a drive out to go visit my favourite wood, we often go this time of year and I am never disappointed, for the Bluebells were bobbing their heads in the breeze and the scent of them wafted around me as the sun shone between leafy branches..
The squirrels were out in abundance as it is a nature reserve and many come to feed the birds and squirrels. But we hardly met anyone, as we walked slowly around the lake and into the woods.
There are ducks and geese on the lake, and as we walked around and we came across a very tame little Robin, who allowed me to get really close to him to take his picture
I think had I had some seed in my hand he may well have eaten from it, as these little robins are very used to people visiting and feeding them. Sorry little Robin I had no food for you today..
The carpet of Blue went as far as the eye could see.
Fungi and Ladybug
The Fungi growing from this trunk has a tiny lady bug on it
Lady Bug
The Blossoms are in abundance in our home garden too, I also have some blue and white bells in our garden.
White-bells Bluebells
The herb Rosemary is also in flower, as is the Clematis and shrubs. Click to enlarge photos on each Gallery.
Rosemary More May Blossom Clematis
The Allotment is now also getting most things set, the tomatoes and cucumbers are now in place, the beetroot is now starting to show new shoots through the earth, as are the peas, and parsnips all sprouting… The potatoes too are now showing signs of growth and are in need of the earth hoeing up around them now. Below is the Gallery of of the allotments.. May is truly a busy month, not only for gardeners but for the Bees too, I managed to capture a Bee on the Apple tree blossom.
Bumble Bee Busy Pollinating
Click to enlarge the Gallery photo’s….. Have a Wonderful rest of May,
and Happy Gardening and enjoying All that Nature has to offer.. Until Next Time..
It has been a long while since I wrote here in my Garden Blog. The absence wasn’t intentional, but maybe the Universe had diverted my attention to be less on line in recent months, and more in my creative zone. Since the Allotment is more or less put to bed over winter, there wasn’t a great lot to report.. I allowed my Garden blog to sleep for what now is 6 months.. So I wouldn’t be surprised if any of you who followed here also put this blog to bed for good also.
I now feel though, that it’s time to emphasise the importance of growing our own food, or to bring awareness of the Farmers plight across the world. About our Food production in general. Which has been constantly targeted by officialdom. If you are not already aware of the campaign of NO FARMERS NO FOOD then this link is a good place to start in educating yourselves on the plight many farmers are facing across the world not just here in the UK.
But change is happening and there are now many more people who are wanting to help, be it help cut out the middle men, to help farmers, to growing their own food and starting food hubs and co-operative type initiatives. One such none profit organisation is this one Open Food Network here in the UK, but its not just here in the UK these hubs are springing up organically all over the world, as people become more aware of the importance of connecting with Nature and organically grown produce, and the value to health of good nutritional food that hasn’t got a load of chemicals added to it.
A wonderful conversation on how this is now coming about, can be viewed by listening to this great conversation on the subject of the Open Food Network and how communities are coming together with Farmers and local growers, to see how best to help farmers connect directly with communities in helping distribute and find new ways of diversifying their strengths in helping produce and distribute food on a local level, as well as utilising skills.
The transition is not going to occur over night and the pressures farmers have been under via these huge Supermarket corporations to produce their products to the specifications of what to grow and when, as supermarkets demands be met, be it straight carrots or Kiwi Fruits of a certain size.. Farmers are being squeezed out of business, by so many pressures put upon them.
And as more and more farms close, this will impact ALL of us eventually, for when our farmers are no more, will you be one to eat Bugs? as some in the WEF are suggesting. Oh and by the way, are already adding unknowingly to many foods, unless you look very closely at labels, which are already on our Supermarket shelves!..
Those who have followed me know that we have had our allotment plot for many years, and the excess food we do grow we often give away to family, neighbours and friends, Its good to see also many more of our plots being taken up as people gravitate back to nature and growing their own again. Keeping chickens to lay eggs, etc… We now have fresh new laid eggs from another allotmenteer each week, paying the allotmenteer what he feels is a fair price, and let me tell you its half the price of Free Range Eggs and much fresher than some supermarkets.
As prices in our shops and our energy bills escalate substantially, people are now seeing for themselves this may well get worse before it gets better. And as the weather here has added an extra burden on farmers, they have not in some areas of Lincolnshire in England been able to get to plant crops, because their fields are under water. So no potatoes were planted or wheat, Food shortages and prices will rise. So I hope this post gives a little food for thought when you next buy your veggies, to see where they came from, as you perhaps support your local farmers to keep them in business..
Below is a slide shows, on the current state of our Allotment.. We have the potatoes in, 3 rows of earlies, 5 rows of maincrop.. the onion sets are in, the pea rows are about to go in. The lettuce plants are also planted, as are the broad beans which were set last Autumn, now coming into flower.. The greenhouse is full of leeks, cauliflower, and sprouts seedlings potted on ready to go out, at the end of the month.. And the tomatoes, cucumbers and squashes all raring to go, they have been sitting on my home bedroom windows and landing windowsills for a while now…
Potatoes are in the ground and the soil dug and hoed
Various Lettuce in the cold frame under the netting
More ground freshly dug over
Beneath these arches which will eventually hold nets once the fruits are set, are Blueberry, Raspberry, Red and Blackcurrant and Gooseberry bushes. My hubby who didn’t know I took this photo 🙂
Tomatoes and Cucumbers have been growing on the home windowsills ready to transfer to the greenhouses.
While I have not been in the allotments as much as I once was, I have kept my fingers busy with my arts and crafts.. Here is just a small sample of some cards I had made.. Some are with dried pressed flowers and others are with my watercolour paints. Click to enlarge individually. and see descriptions.
Thank you for reading, until next time… and lets hope its sooner rather than later..
It has been a while since I created a gardening post for my Garden Blog. I have not been on the plot in 3 months, due to illness and lack of energy. But thankfully however my hubby has kept things in check. But I have not been to take any photos since July.
It was around that time I picked some of my herbs for drying. I planted a couple of short rows in my herb raised bed of Chamomile, Oregano, Sage, and Parsley.
Since then, I have dried out the Chamomile and Oregano, Sage, and Parsley.
Today I want to talk to you about the benefits of Chamomile tea.
This tea has a very aromatic floral flavour which is not only soothing to drink but it also acts as a soother for nerves, having a wonderful calming influence for anxiety and nervous disorders.
Studies have shown in drinking Chamomile tea, it can also help with improving your sleep patterns as it helps you relax. This is due to the flavonoids and an ingredient found within the herb called apigenin. Which studies have shown binds to receptors in the brain, aiding sleep. These apigenin agents within the flower may also help as an anti-inflammatory. It is also suggested this may also help in blood sugars and may also help soothe an upset stomach.
When to drink this tea? I like to drink a cup which I seep about a heaped teaspoon to a cup of hot water in a diffuser, which I allow to brew for around 5 minutes before drinking. I find a cup after a meal and before bedtime very helpful.
More information can be found here, about when to drink it and more health benefits can also be found on this site, where 7 Health Benefits Of Chamomile Tea: A Research Overview. Where lots of research into the benefits of drinking Chamomile tea can be found.
Chamomile tea now dried and put into jars
Why not trying your hand at growing your own Chamomile tea, it also looks great as a flower in your boarder .
Benefits of Drinking Chamomile Tea
Even if you do not have an allotment, you could think of growing some herbs in pots on your window ledge or patio. Happy Gardening and Sending you all, Good Health Wishes.
And as Winter approaches, this is also a good time to dive back into your hobbies and creativeness. I have got back into my water colour painting again and as it is the season of Pumpkins… I will leave you with one of my watercolour paintings..
Happy Gardening and Sending you all, Good Health Wishes. 🍂🎃Happy Samhain.🎃🍂
I am being a bit lazy, as I reblog my own post to my Garden Blog from Dreamwalker’s Sanctuary. But I am wanting to spend more time in my garden and finish a painting that has been waiting too long to get finished..
Wishing you all a Wonderful Weekend..
💚Happy Gardening.. 💚
Once upon a time there lived a little Caterpillar who lived among the cabbages and weeds. All day long he’d munch and chew, munch and chew, as bigger and bigger he grew.
Munching on the nasturtiums
And each day as he watches the birds high in the sky, he thinks how wonderful it would be to have Wings and fly, and live high up with the tree instead of munching low to the ground, beneath the Cabbages making no sound.
Then one day he had a fright, as birds did swoop and peck with beak, his cabbage leaf to shake his feet.
His friend was munching by his side when all of a sudden in big surprise, the one with Wings did grab him tight, and off she flew with him out of sight.
June is turning out to be an exceptional month. as the fruits of our labours bring us rich rewards. While its been dry for many weeks in a row.. These last few weeks have given way to thunderstorms and heavy downpours of rain, which the gardens have drunk thirstily.. I love watching a good storm.. So everything got a boost, along with of course the mighty weeds, always in competition with what we plant, so keeping on top of them always an ongoing process.
So above you can see the Gooseberries, and still more to pick.. I will be making a Gooseberry Crumble at the weekend with some of these, the rest I have already frozen for later. The Strawberries, I am pleased to say the mouse only nibbled at half a dozen 😉. The Redcurrants also doing well with more to pick. And as you can see the Broccoli all coming at once.. These are a little past their best as they are starting to blow open.. But I made some delicious Broccoli and Stilton soup out of them.. The recipe for broccoli soup can be found here on my recipe pages. I used the whole Broccoli not just the stalks as in the linked recipe. and added some crumbled Stilton Cheese to your taste to melt at the end of cooking. The Cauliflower too was starting to blow open, but saved well in the fridge until I was ready to use with a meal.
The Home garden has been full of colour.. All the hot weather has suited the plants, so long as you water regularly. So I will just update with a few pictures of what is in flower in and around our home garden this month.
Click an image to enlarge it.
MY GARDEN
I look around my garden
What wonders do I see.
Neat flowers in the borders
All visited by the Bee.
The shrubs all gently swaying
In the afternoon hot breeze.
The birds sing out their warning
As my cat stalks beneath the trees.
I’m so lucky to have a garden
In which I find much peace.
To sit and ponder life’s problems
And wish all wars would cease.
We all think that we’re hard done to.
Never satisfied with our lot.
But I’m so thankful for my garden
Lord, help me settle for what I’ve got.
Written 26th June 1994.
By Sue Dreamwalker
Today, I came across the poem above, which I had written in 1994… While my Cat I spoke of here, is not the same cat I have today, I still appreciate my garden, and my four legged companion of today who sits with me in my garden. Suning himself with me.
Biscuit: my Cat today ..
Enjoy your Summer, find time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labours. Until next Time Happy Gardening
Lupins in the vacant plot next to ours These were seeded from the seeds blown over from the plants we had the other year. Nature left to her own devices is remarkable. This plot has not been worked in over two years. It doesn’t take long for nature to reclaim back what man wants to put in order.
Nature has a way of always thriving and if you wanted to plant a meadow yourself, no doubts it wouldn’t turn out as beautiful as this. Allowing Nature to do her thing often shows us how beautiful she can craft a meadow when left alone to do so..
A garden meadow with lupins, poppies and cornflowers, next to our plot.
Those of you who plant veggies, know this is a busy time of year, as seedling get planted into their permanent positions, and greenhouses get filled. That is just the beginning of it, for then there is the watering, especially if its been dry like this last month here in England, no rain to speak of in any great quantities, just a few spots of drizzle here and there. So watering the allotments is a big part of every day. Along with hoeing, and keeping on top of any weeds, which seem to thrive in All weathers…
But Summer is also a time to enjoy.. So we often walk down of an evening and sit. Our Cat, who we named Biscuit we found on the allotments in 2019, skinny, neglected, and wanting a home… We did trace the owner, who told us we could keep him, she told us his age, he was then 9, and he has made his home with us ever since.. He is a great mouse catcher and I have lost count of the gifts he has brought us, Sadly for the mice, but he is doing what comes natural to him. And keeping the rodents down. Though I do have a little mouse who is happily nibbling away at my strawberries which have missed his gaze! 😀
He is the only cat we have ever had that follows us around like a dog, very intelligent, and my hubby and he have a special bond, they seem to know what each other think! 🙂 … He walks with us to the plot and comes back with us, if he feels like it. Now most of the Allotment holders know he is ours and ask where he is if he happens not to be with us.
Thirsty work this gardening! And don’t worry we use a different watering can if we put feed in there and we don’t use chemicals on the garden. The water is uncontaminated.
So while while Biscuit was off hunting.. I decided to put fleece under the strawberry plants.. I really should have done the old strawberry bed sooner, before the plants got too large.. It would have saved me a lot of back ache… And a friendly allotmenteer I have to thank for the fleece… I was going to put straw around them, but he gave us this roll of fleece to try and didn’t want anything in return… This is community spirit among gardeners.. 🙂
I decided to put fleece under the strawberries instead of straw this year, We seem to have some mice who are enjoying the ripening strawberries .. Not much we can do, but share.
I finished weeding and and laying fleece on these young plants from last years runners.
Things are growing fast and I will add another slide show so you can see for yourself how things are growing.
From left, Potatoes, Lettuce, small row of peas, parsnips, Beetroot onions, and shallots.. Dwarf beans are going in the space near the short pea row
Parsnips, beetroot onions shallots and peas closer view
Brassicas and Leeks and that is Horse Radish the green on the corner
Garden Onions Peas and Brassica family
Here you see Hubby has been busy putting up a frame that netting is now over to protect the raspberries and redcurrants from the pigeons.. This will be tall enough for me to walk inside to pick them.
I also planted some Mint… Remember if you plant mint, to do so in a container.. Mint spreads. I Love it to make mint sauce and Mint Tea.
Speaking of Tea, Now the nettles are totally dried after hanging, until completely brittle, I crushed and put Nettle tea in airtight jars . It made me 3 large jam-jars full.
And remember, while gardening is hard work, it is also good to sit back, and relax and EnJOY them. So Happy gardening… And I will leave you with some pictures of the home garden. Have a Wonderful June.. And Summer..
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”
Another Month has flown, and the Dreamwalker Garden has been a hive of activity with ground cleared, seedlings replanted in pots, while others are being planted in the ground. While in the greenhouse all is more organised as the Tomatoes and cucumbers get settled in their growing places..
First Here is a short video of the Allotment I took… The sound of my voice is not that clear, the wind was blowing and I was only using my phone… But you can see what is now set and growing.
The allotment in May. Greenhouse Tomatoes
Here you see the Greenhouse now all planted out which is a more recent photo than when I took the video.
Before and After Weeding out the Raspberries move the curser in the centre.
Today’s post only a short one as you can see most of what is growing in the video… I hope you are all enjoying your gardens and enjoying the Sunshine when it appears between the showers.. Keep Smiling..
The philosopher who said that work well done never needs doing over,…
never weeded a garden.
~Ray D. Everson~
Growth takes time. Be patient. And while you’re waiting, pull a weed.
So how does your garden grow? April for us has been a mixture of rainy day showers, along with couple of frosty mornings and some bitter winds. but despite all of that, the Potatoes got planted.. Three rows of earlies and Five rows of the the main crop.
Here you see the rows of potatoes, behind a young apple tree that I have grown from seed. Which seems to be loving its new position in the allotment.
Lots of things are now growing, and will soon be ready to put in the ground… The Onions and shallots are now in the ground under netting, and this week the peas will go in, along with broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage plants. Seeds in the ground also have been set, these are Beetroot, and Parsnip.. Also lettuce, Spring onions and radish.
Greenhouse
Peas and Leeks
Onions
Broccoli Cabbage and Cauliflower
The tomatoes have yet to get transplanted into their permanent pots in the greenhouse once more room has been made when other plants can go outside
While Hubby was busy doing his planting I went behind the sheds to the Nettle patch.. Remember how I told hubby to leave me a nettle patch in the last post? Well Spring nettles soon grow and this you can now see, Just ideal for me to pick for my tea making.
Nettle Patch of New Growth of Spring Young Nettle shoots.
You just have to have a thick pair of gloves on and cut them roughly the same length.. I filled a large bag full of them to take home, clean and hang up to dry… I am hung them in my art room over my bookcase… And it was just like walking into a spring meadow every morning… They still have a little more drying out to do before they can be crushed up to store in air tight jars which I use for tea.. Here are the Listed Health Benefits of Nettle Tea..
Nettles hanging to dry for tea making
When the sun has got out and the clouds have cleared away… The Sky has been a brilliant blue… Not often have we seen our blue skies this Spring… As mainly its been a white out… For those who do Look UP.. and take note of your skies above you, you will have seen how busy those planes have been in the sky.. For those not understanding this then you perhaps need to educate yourselves on Geoengineering . and watch the film on the link called The Dimming!.. It may open your eyes to just some of the things in plain sight, that people don’t see.. So it was lovely to see on this morning the Blue skies above the Plum Blossoms.
Plum Blossoms and Blue Skies
To finish off this post… I did another Painting earlier this month.. And and for those aware of the CME’s incoming to Earth , these also enhance the Northern Lights which have recently been seen across many more parts of the world.. While we here in England have not witnessed these beautiful formations of Lights.. I was inspired to paint my own version of one in our Night sky… My interpretation is that it is coming from a central point in the Cosmos.. As we are birthing New Earth, via our Higher Consciousness..
Enjoy the rest of your April Sunshine and showers, and remember
“Every leaf that grows will tell you: what you sow will bear fruit, so if you have any sense my friend, don’t plant anything but Love.”
Each year Spring pushes her bulbs and green shoots through the ground I marvel at the miracles in nature.. Each time I plant a tiny seed no bigger than a full-stop on the page. I marvel at the wonderment of how each tiny cell knows exactly what to be, a leaf, a petal, or stem..
Such are the Miracles of Birth, and the best Miracles of all are ourselves and how each of us are unique in form and personality. And just how precious Life is.
This month on the gardening front, has been a mixture of cold, wet, and snowy conditions, which I feel we still have not seen the last of. But the plot is all dug over, and Hubby has already started to clear out the overgrown area at the back of the sheds which for the last two years we used a huge composting pile…
Behind the shed, clearing out the old compost pile and deep rooted nettle patch
As you can see there is still more clearing to be done, and its been hard going, getting the nettle roots out which have spread. but I have asked Hubby to leave me some of the nettle patch in tact, as I gather in spring and dry out for tea. It will not take nettles long to grow.. And so long as you wear a good pair of thick gloves when picking them from getting stung. How and when to Harvest is within the link, and you can find many Nettle Tea recipes on line.
Nettle Patch, and the brambles in the background are Blackberries.. Which if not kept in check also run rampant.
Also remember Nettles as well as being nutritious with health benefits for us, they are food for certain caterpillars, which butterflies use to lay their eggs in. Such species as The Red Admiral, Peacock butterfly, and the small tortoiseshell butterflies as well as the Comma Butterfly.. Keeping a small wild patch on your plot or in your garden is helping to keep these butterflies to thriving. More information about Nettles and Caterpillars can be found at this Woodland Trust Link, this is an organisation I support on a regular basis as it preserves old woodlands https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/07/what-do-caterpillars-eat/
We are also trying an experiment starting this Spring, as I came upon this website on Electoculture Gardening Techniques. By which you plant rods of coiled copper or brass into the ground… As you know we do not use any chemicals, pesticides or herbicides on the garden and source manure from Organic farming. But this year has been harder to get hold of our usual manure supply as farmers are keeping extra now back for themselves and its in greater demand since the price of farm fertilizers have shot through the roof.
Experimenting with Electro-culture, I put a copper coiled pole in the ground. This is supposed to help yields and enrich the soil.. So I put the rod where we are to plant potatoes this year.. The Energy of the rod travels out into the soil. ” On average one 6 foot antenna can cover about about 225 sqft.” according to the website.. We shall see how it works tthis year. Potatoes Chitting Onion and Shallots getting started off in pots in the greenhouse
Potatoes are chitting, and Shallots and Onion sets are getting an early start in their pots before being planted out. Also we have set some onions from seeds.. I intend to do more pickled shallots this year, as everyone I gifted them too over Christmas enjoyed them so much..
For a more detailed account of how Electroculture works, the link for their website is above and below in the quote. Basically it is energising the soil and a quote from their website is as follows
Electroculture is the an ancient practice of increasing yields utilizing certain materials to harvest the earth’s atmospheric energy. This was presented in 1749 by Abbe Nollett, in the 1920s by Justin Christofleau, and 1940s by Viktor Schauberger. This energy is always present and all around us also known as Chi, Prana, Life force, and Aether.
Our new Allotmenteer neighbours of two years, two plots down from us, who are a young family, managed to source some Manure from an Organic Farm, and asked if we would like some manure, So we insisted on going halves with them with the cost when a Ton of Manure was delivered… We were giving them starter plants last year, and they introduced us to the Polish Tomato they grew in abundance in their newly built Polytunnel. And its wonderful that they are not afraid to ask for advice either. We were gifted by them a few weeks back with a packet of Polish Tomato seeds. ( I had already saved some seeds from their tomatoes gifted last year, as I thought their huge size ideal for making soups and sauces ). The packet straight from Poland was a bonus.
I just love the way people in the growing community are sharing and repurposing everything. We have always given extra veggies and flowers away to neighbours and family.. But this year already several neighbours have donated wood which they no longer want to see if can use on the allotments, and some clear Perspex plastic alternative to glass sheets which were not wanted.. Of course Hubby was very grateful for, he can use the Perspex in the greenhouse and the wood he has already made a couple of cold frames using both.
New Cold frames in place made from wood and Perspex repurposed
To finish off this months post I will leave you with the Gallery of photos of some of the plants indoors and in the garden.
Enjoy and Happy Planting
Hyacinth and primrosePink Striped Orchid Jill the scare-crow with some miniature daffodils Daffodils primroses and fairies. Crocuses in pots Pink striped Orchid, Can you see the cat like face? Dendrobium Orchid, second year of flowering since this was gifted me
February has been full of colour for me… It started on the last day of January when we both celebrated our 48th Wedding Anniversary. So, flowers were in abundance
And of course on the 14th, Valentines, so more colour and beautiful flowers decorated our home
The flowers too in our garden are starting to spring into life.
The primroses which have been out since January are showing their magnificence as too the Yellow crocus beginning to bloom..
Walking in the Woods the Catkins were gloriously wagging their tails in the breeze,
And the snowdrops were in abundance as they bowed their heads in the undergrowth.
Hubby finally got all the manure dug in, and has now started on making another larger raised bed as one of the old ones the wood was rotting, so this was repurposed.
My Knitting project of my Chunky knitted Jacket is finally finished today, and while I have enjoyed this project its not been without it’s challenges and mistakes.. But such is life, and It taught me not to speak, listen, and count at the same time 😊
My herb seeds are now sown into pots.. Along with some early cabbage and broccoli seeds sown to be grown indoors for a while, before planting out.
We could still have some very cold weather yet, and we never discount we could still have a frost until May arrives,
The church in Bakewell
It was wonderful to see how others in local communities are now banding and gathering together their produce to form small independent co-operatives..
I came across this one https://www.farmacycoop.org/ in the Market Town of Bakewell, where I used to go to Secondary School and later worked for 5 years.
Its great to see locally sources organic food being pooled for distribution. I hope to see more communities gathering together this way
This is how I feel our Communities will build the new ways evolving with local services and skills.. Its wonderful to see these new projects springing up as we become more self-sufficient in all sorts of ways..
I hope you have a ten minutes to listen to their video and the ideas being put forward.
I particularly loved the quote on their website. Which said.
Hold your Vision of the Future… Stay focused on what you wish to create and not on the Fear being generated…
Dreamwalker's Garden 
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