May is already speeding and breakneck speed as we are already at the midpoint. We have had some beautiful weather last week here in England, which has encouraged the flowers and blossoms to bloom. So I thought to share a few Garden quotes with a few images Along with part of a poem I wrote some years ago.
The first image being Biscuit our Cat enjoying the warmth of the Sun.
Click the Images to enlarge in the gallery.
Yesterday’s flowers are today’s dreams. – Japanese proverb
“The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden.” – Thomas Moore
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” – Zen Shin
Oneness is all I feel As into my garden I gaze surreal Tranquil thoughts as nature Blends My thoughts of Peace are what I send
I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow. – David Hobson
Enjoy the rest of May, and your time out in your Gardens and within Nature.
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..
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.”
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
January here in the Midlands has been a mixture weather wise, of rain, wind, cold, and sharp frosts that some days have never lifted in the shade.. Frost always fascinates me, and I couldn’t help but take a few photos of frost on some Ivy when I took a walk the other morning. Click photo’s to Enlarge.
While the Frost looks pretty, it didn’t do our Broad Beans any favours, the very low temperatures killed them off as they had come through the ground about 3 inches high.. But it’s not too late to sow some more, Some years we are lucky others not. Gardening is all Swings and Roundabouts.. 🙂 We are hoping the Two neglected plots at either side of us are taken up by people who will cultivate them… As the seeds from the weeds are a constant battle..
Manure half-way spread on this piece of the plot. Since this photo was taken, Hubby has started to dig it all in.
The Brussel Sprouts always tastes that bit better after having some frost on them.
Another strawberry bed was put at the side of the other, has yet to have more compost put in it.
The Leeks also have been delicious.. Apologies the images not the clearest.
The Lettuce is surviving, growing slowly in the cold frame .
This years Leeks seedlings sprouting on the Window sill.
Onion and Shallot sets being started off in the pots before transplanting when warmer.
Purple Flowering Broccoli Starting to Sprout.
Finishing:
While Hubby’s fingers have been aching cold with frost, mine have been busy finishing off several more knitting projects.. The New Home to which Cyril the Owl and Charlotte the Fox are now living happily together is also home to a little White knitted Donkey.. This little Donkey is now 46 years years old and was knitted for my Daughter as a baby.. He is a cherished little soul, and I was asked by my daughter to give him a new jumper… As he was feeling quite left out by the new outfits I knitted for Charlotte the Fox for Christmas..
Charlottes New Clothes in Cape and shoes. And Donkey in his New Green Sweater,
Charlottes Knitted shoes
Donkey’s New Green Sweater I knitted.
Donkey’s Blue Jumper I knitted
Charlotte in her new shoes and with her handbag and shawl
And I finished my project I started just after Christmas, a Waistcoat I made for myself.
So that is what I have been starting and finishing over the Month of January. I hope that what ever projects you have got in hand, you will enjoy creating in 2023.. Whether it be in the Garden or your Hobbies and Crafts..
“When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden.”
Most of us will know what a Dandelion is, many see them growing wild, they are also found in our gardens, especially our lawns.
We are often encouraged to kill them in those weed-killing adverts, as they show us how to zap them dead with one squirt of poison.
Hare and Dandelion painting ~Sue Dreamwalker
Yet the Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has tremendous health benefits, perhaps that’s why big pharma linked with the chemicals companies of weed killers want you to keep zapping them. Because it grows in abundance and is free and it aids our health.. Like some other plant-based medicines I could think of.
The dandelion root has been used for hundreds of years to treat a wide range of health issues, so it is no wonder that it’s regaining popularity as people discover how easy it is to grow and harvest.
The Dandelion has many health benefits, the root is where most of the medicinal properties are. But you can eat the leaves and the flowers along with the stems, they are all edible, and can be added to salads and stir fries. Or you can dry it out and use for making tea.
Here I hung out Dandelions Drying for making tea
Dandelion derives from the French ‘Dent de lion’ ( Lion’s tooth ) a reference to the jagged leaves pointing backwards. Which to the imagination look like a lions jaw.
Dandelions contains 12 times the amount of vitamin A than a lettuce, and about 3 times its vitamin C.
I pick younger leaves as the older leaves tend to be Very, very bitter if using them in a salad. Or steamed like spinach.
Note: Make sure that your Dandelions have not been sprayed with any chemicals or weedkillers, and are picked away from the roadside where they will pick up contaminants from vehicles exhausts etc. Wash well.
You can also make Dandelion Wine I am sure many of us can recall the taste of Dandelion and Burdock Pop or cordial … One of my favourite fizzy drinks as a child and still is…
Studies have been found Dandelion is very good for our hearts, and can lower bad Cholesterol, it can fight Free Radicals with its powerful Antioxidant properties, called beta carotene.
It can help stabilise blood sugars, and some research suggests it may be helpful in treatments of type ll Diabetes.
Also Blood Pressure can be lowered naturally with dandelion root. Potassium has been proven to help lower blood pressure and dandelions are rich in potassium. Also Potassium increased in your diet will help relieve muscle cramps, you can also get this from Banana’s too.
Potassium also helps osteoporosis and kidney stones too, so a cup of dandelion root tea every day will provide the potassium your body needs to stay healthier.
Dandelions have antimicrobial and antiviral properties in them, that work to strengthen the immune system. Vitally important at the moment to keep our immune systems topped up. I also use Echanechia drops this helps our immune system fight cold and flu symptoms!.
What is there not to like about the Dandelion, for they improve digestion, help reduce inflammation, which is why I drink dandelion and root tea on a regular basis, along with nettle tea, I will go into the benefits of nettles another day. Dandelion leaves are rich in vitamin A.
Dandelion picked and washed
Here I picked tender young leaves and roots from my allotment, I washed and scrubbed the earth from the roots and then hung up to dry, once dry I then crushed to store in an airtight jar to use as in a tea. Lots of methods can be found on the internet of how to prepare and add to recipes.
Dandelion Tea
So next time you think of zapping a dandelion or pulling it up from your garden…. Think twice on how it may aid your own health and benefit you,… all for free… 😊
I will add a link here so you can see for yourself all of those health benefits
Here we are in mid June, and we have been busy. While we have had some odd heavy showers here and there, the allotments have needed watering most every day..
We do this from the water tanks that are dotted about every One hundred yards or so.. Thankfully our water cistern is only around twenty good steps from the top of our plot… But when you are carrying two 2litre watering cans back and fourth, which someone told me the other day is roughly about 40lbs in weight in total… Who needs a Gym to work out your arm muscles 🙂
The weather here has been warm and yesterday it reached up into the 30c… too warm for me.. Then today it plummeted down to 14c… with forecasts for thunderstorms this afternoon… I hope we do get some rain… It will certainly take a little of the heavy watering back and forth pressure off for a little while..
From left to right
Beetroot Chard Red and green Lettuce Peas Potatoes
Its been ideal growing weather for Lettuce and the neighbours and family have been well pleased with what we have given away.. I spent an hour weeding out the row of Spring Onions, Space is always well used and here you see We planted between the cloches
Spring Onions- Before weeding and After weeding If you click onto the pointer in the image you can slide across.
If you zoom into left hand section, you will see the weeds, while we throw those into the compost bins if they haven’t got seeds formed… The are also edible! ... But make sure you identify anything you eat first to be sure.
We get hundreds and thousands of these weeds growing each season, the seeds get churned up every year from digging and hoeing etc. The weeds you see above go by several names as either lambs-quaters weed, or White Goosefoot. Also know as Wild spinach. A link here for a close image and more information including vitamin value.. If you do not pull up these when small like this, they can grow quite high and then turn to seed.
So many of our so called weeds, can be edible and I will touch upon some in a future posts… In the mean time I will just leave you with a gallery of what is growing. If you click onto individual images they should enlarge.
Gooseberries. Greenhouse 2 Tomatoes, cucumbers and young Brassica’s cauliflower and winter cabbage. Greenhouse 1 Tomatoes and CucumbersCourgettesBroad beans on right Sweetcorn leftBrassica Family and Potatoes Apples forming Kidney Beans Strawberry bed to right Weeding out Onions and Shallots Carrots under cover to the right Strawberries Ripening Strawberries Under Net
We are delighted that more and more people are taking an interest in growing their own food. And this is the first year in a long while that most of the vacant plots are taken. It requires hard work and people can soon get discouraged as they think they can dig a piece, plant it and leave it… Only to come back and find it covered in weeds again and if they have not covered their tender shoots that the pigeons have eaten the lot…
I have I think a little mouse that visits our strawberries, I saw the tiny hole in the ground beside the wooden frame… and Although netted I saw little teeth nibbles on the ripe strawberries.. You have to be prepared to Give and Take to mother nature and I dare say as food prices soar we usually get a few two legged human species helping themselves too and I feel this year we will see more of that happening.. Its unfortunate, as I would sooner give away than people take… But we grow more than enough for our needs, and we always give our surplus away to family and neighbours . But what ever, we hope they enjoyed what they take, they obviously were in need.
Hope you are all enjoying your gardens whether it be growing veggies or just sitting enjoying your lawn and flowerbeds.
Happy Gardening!
What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.”
I thought it beyond time I opened up my garden blog again. Some of you already may know I took a long-extended break from blogland. It wasn’t intentional, it just happened, as I swapped the computer for my crafts as I absorbed myself in my creations. And the longer I was away, the harder it seemed to return here.
I have sorely neglected this my garden blog, and now more than ever, people need their gardens in which they can ground themselves, as they re-connect back with Mother Nature, along with her gifts of beauty and bounty. We have so many wonderous gifts bound within nature, that many of us still take for granted. So I thought it about time I shared some of these precious gifts we all can learn to participate within, as we merge in nature, be it growing things or just relaxing in it.
The Pause I took, I know was due to something shifting deeply within, for while I was creating with my hands, I was taken into a place of bliss, where peace and calm ran like the threads of yarn I was using to create, as I allowed my mind to drift into its own rhythm of creation, away from the chaos I was seeing unfolding in the outer world.
charlotte the Fox in the making-1
Charlottes dress.
Charlottes Cardigan
Charlottes undergarment
Charlottes shoes
Charlotte the Fox and Piano
Charlotte the Fox with her coat and bag.
Crocheted Afghan throw and cushions
Crocheted Throw
I felt alive within the patterns I wove, absorbing each thought, each download of wisdom, as thoughts filtered through, as I tried to fathom out a world which to me was no longer making that much sense. For what I saw unfolding was contradiction after contradiction, and as our world and our rights dissolved with leaders whose strings were tied into their own dark tethers of intentions. So, as each stitch was formed within my creations, I tried to sort out within my own safe haven the heartache of all I was experiencing around me.
Did I succeed in clearing that heartache? In part yes, in part, no..
For we are all learning, each of us are all growing, and like the seeds we plant, we have to nurture and give them the right conditions in order for them to thrive.
So, within my creative quiet time, I saw ourselves each as small seeds, all cast down onto this Earth within our various circumstances. Some got planted in the rich earth of plenty, while others were cast upon the rocks, who often it seems have to strive harder than their neighbours to survive, as they send their roots out to find nutrients to sustain them, as they struggle in overcoming their various obstacles and circumstances.
Tomatoes and Cucumber
The plot sheds and our cat.
Sweetcorn
Lettuce, beetroot, peas
Kidney beans
Strawberry Bed
Courgettes
Cold frame with lettuce, leeks and in front are gladioli bulbs shooting
Cold frame plants
Potatoes
Potatoes and Sprouts
Gooseberries
Cat Break.
But all of us, were here to learn how to grow.
Yet ALL no matter what conditions they find themselves in, they are each given that which enables their inner light to strengthen. For all are in need of the Light, no matter how deep in the dark they have fallen into the cracks of despair. We are all striving towards the light, no matter how hard or harsh some are finding it in their own dark shadowy places, we all need light in which to mature and grow. And we all started out in that dark lonely place at one time or another.
All of us I feel in the not-too-distant future may need to learn and start a garden, or at least support a local communities or farmers markets, as we see the value of how growing our own food and keeping our seeds pure will be so important in the future.
Many too who are awakening, are seeing the value of clearing and cleaning our energies centres, as we not only need food in the physical sense to sustain us, we also need to cultivate our inner garden, as we re-learn how to nurture and cultivate our inner world.
Iris’s Purple hues Foxglove haven A Reflective Corner
To do that we need to open our hearts, as we embrace and unify our fellow travellers who find themselves in troubling times. We must also remember to also be very gentle with ourselves, as we learn to navigate newly ploughed ground which may still be rough and full of stones underfoot. For we are all going to be walking upon newly turned earth as the old earth gets turned over ready for us all to plant new seeds, new ideas, new solutions to the broken systems we now see falling by the wayside.
Things in our reality may for a time feel more confusing, but a garden cannot be maintained unless we are prepared to put in the hard ground-work, clearing out the weeds, and thorns, as we lay new foundations, planting new seeds of truth, that are not poisoned by the chemicals which not only pollute our Earth Mother, but pollute the minds and choke our freedoms to grow and thrive within this God’s Earth we call Gaia. To which we were all born free to experience.
This garden blog has been dormant for far too long, its now time to open up this garden once again, as we plant our new seeds, new ideas, new solutions into BE-ing, as we bring our Dreams into reality as we walk our walk and talk our talk…
Dreamwalker’s Garden is now open for the growing season of New Earth.
Dreamwalker's Garden 
You must be logged in to post a comment.