Colette O'Neill

Permaculture Harvest despite Chaos!

JackThe permaculture harvest continues, along with the increasing numbers of visitors to Bealtaine Cottage.

Garlic is harvested, dried and stored…just in time for re-planting the crop for next year, in just a few more weeks.

As the world teeters once more on the brink of chaos, in the forms of war and nuclear contamination from Fukushima, getting the harvest home and planning for next Spring is a way of keeping one’s sanity!

It’s also a way of nurturing optimism and hope for the future!

kilronan mountainTomatoes are everywhere in the gardens and tunnel.

I let them do their own thing and they have produced wildly!

All the tomatoes are late, but then the summer was dithering in and out of Spring this year!

Even the Perlagoniums in the photo above are in late flower after several months of sleepy time!

porchAs the summer fades into Autumn, the light changes inside and around the cottage in the most delightful ways.

Shadows prevail in unfamiliar places, making all look quite different.

workshopOnions, Blackcurrants, Peas and Broad beans are all stored for the year.

I am continuing to use the remainder of last year’s Blackcurrants!

More wine I think!

I was invited to give a talk to the Green Party recently and am invited to give another talk at an Arts festival in Connemara…along with a wine making demonstration, so will be finding use for excess Blackcurrant crops!

evening sun reflectionsShadow play on the door of the Lodge…isn’t this beautiful?

This is a good place to dry herbs when the stove is lit, as it gets very hot very fast!

wine, kitchenI noticed that there is a bumper crop of Blackberries on the hedgerows this Autumn.

I looked up some old recipes for using Blackberries, so will be collecting them and saving them in the freezer, ready to use in a plethora of delicious recipes!

Food for free and lots of it!

The new compost heap is being stacked up daily, so am already thinking about next planting season!

cup of tea!There is a slight chill in the air, heralding Autumn as it transits into cooler times.

It’s a good idea to wear cotton scarves around shoulders and neck and take them off indoors!

Along with all the food harvested, there is an abundance of seeds to bring in and herbs to dry and store.

This is also the time to begin collecting tree seeds to sow in pots…something I do every year!

missyAs I work, show visitors around, harvest and continue building my workshop, Missy snoozes, oblivious to it all!

5 comments

  1. Thanks for sharing!
    Your work and effort realy inspire and warms me in these chaotic times.;-)
    Give Missy a hug from me.
    Lost one of my cats, one week ago. His name was “Chang”, He was a 6 year old Bengal-boy,and died after a stroke.:-(

    Reply

    • Thank you for your lovely words…words are empowering, healing and vibrational sounds of good humanity.
      Missy has reminded me to tell you…One never loses a loved one…cats return again and again. Chang will return. You will intuitively recognise him. Keep your heart open and ready for that time that will come!
      Blessings from Bealtaine Cottage X
      Colette

      Reply

  2. Reblogged this on Blue Dragon Journal and commented:
    Yes! Now is not the time to get distracted and moved out of your center. Now is to be involved with living and being, grounded, happy and free from fear. It is possible.

    Reply

  4. Reblogged this on Laura Bruno's Blog and commented:
    “As the world teeters once more on the brink of chaos, in the forms of war and nuclear contamination from Fukushima, getting the harvest home and planning for next Spring is a way of keeping one’s sanity!”
    So true! Yesterday my dad sent me an insightful look at the Syria situation, but it so obviously showed only one partisan side of the story. I concluded the rant that inspired with, “I don’t know what’s worse. Since the end goal has always been to take down America, it doesn’t matter which is worse. They both stink to low hell. …” And then? I went back to the garden. I manifested more flowering bushes; I ate some deliciously fresh, real food from the Earth; I planned the Fall/Winter garden, the garden next Spring. I continued updating various local people interested in my idea of planting an Urban Food Forest. In an insane world, it’s good to remember what’s real.
    Another lovely post by Colette!

    Reply

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