The growing season has begun, with Rhubarb sending forth strong pink stems despite the storms of recent weeks.
Meanwhile, down in the Fairy Wood, ferns have kept their green in the shelter of the dell. Mosses grow bright in the sunlight and ivy twists and twirls around the Goat Willow.
Lots of Goat Willow has been coppiced over recent months, and although it takes a year or so to season, it makes excellent logs for the stove, giving out masses of heat for free!
Further down the gardens, Pine, laurel and Great Western Cedar all grow happily together and appear healthy in the spring sunshine.
Daffodils are on their way to opening under the shelter of the Beech hedge. This is down beside the pond by the driveway.
And as I turn around from the Daffodils, the Ivy that hangs from some of the mature Goat Willow, swings about in the wind and sunshine…this is turning into a lovely walk around the gardens!
I amble around the lower pond, snapping as I go…Jack moves ahead of me, tugging on his lead for he has picked up the scent of a fox or badger!
I put my camera away and let Jack pull me along, hot on the scent of other life…we finally stop as we come up to the east side of the cottage.
We move around towards the polytunnel and one of the orchards. Pyracantha and Cotoneaster are now devoid of berries. This can be a hungry time for the birds as they mate and nest…there is a big bag of Oats I can scatter around in handfuls for the hungry birds and will do this later.
Back to the cottage and the shelter of the veranda…it’s very stormy, despite the sunshine!
With a full moon over Bealtaine Cottage tonight and a hard frost to come, the evening will be cold for sure.
The coppicing continues and the woodpile grows…
Fennel is beginning to send forth lots of new growth in the shelter of the veranda and the back of the cottage. These new shoots are delicious added to salad!
And just across from the Fennel…
And a reminder for anyone wanting 100% Bealtaine seeds from Bealtaine Cottage…there is a link at the top of this page where you can choose what you want.
Looking at your springing land reminds me it is coming to us here in Maine too. Though we are still under two feet of snow with more forcast to fall I have hope of scrapping through to a hint of the rhubarb I transplanted last Fall.
Hi Colette — I was thinking of you this weekend; I finally managed to get my willow coppiced, just a few large ‘stems’ left that require a larger saw than I had with me. It was hard work, but it certainly kept me warm for a few hours afterwards! Now the real work begins: trying to sort and figure out what to do with all of it (firewood? cuttings? weaving?). I’m looking forward to that. And I didn’t even have to wear a headlamp!
How brilliant! Isn’t it amazing how the earth can go from zero to abundance, leaving you with more than you can immediately deal with and, the continuing promise of more and more…the joy of coppicing!
Some beautiful pictures here, glad to hear that life is coming back to the ground after all this terrible weather
Lovely! How I miss Ireland, especially at this time of year.
I follow your blog and am so inspired by the way you live…as we all should be living!
I am curious about such a moderate climate in Ireland. You must be near the ocean. More temperate there than here in the southern US.
Can you post seeds to the US? How much do the seeds cost or what is a usual donation per pack of seeds?
In the US we might say “you go girl”. Or In other words keep up the good work! I love to see your blogs.
Sent from my IPad.
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We enjoy a wet and mild climate here in Ireland. Bealtaine Cottage is around 25 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. if you click on the Seeds link at the top of the website page you will be guided through how to…donate button is at the bottom of the page.
Blessings XXX Colette
Such a rush of pleasure to see the world turning green and lush again. Ah Spring! Sue
womenlivinglifeafter50.com
I am almost enjoying this walk through your lovely property as much as you are I think, especially because as the days warm up for you and the weather settles down we should start to see some cooler days along with some of that most precious resource “precipitation!” đŸ˜‰
Ah, rain…rarely in short supply here in Ireland!
I wish that was the case here in Tasmania. We get 3 very dry months for our summer and prior to this mornings sprinkle we haven’t had rain since early December!
Is the scarcity of rain a usual occurrence?
Yes. Most people think of Tasmania as being Australia’s wettest state but Hobart (our capital city) is the second driest capital city in Australia. The myth comes from long cold wet winters. Its a Mediterranean climate here to be honest and long hot and very dry summers are the norm.
Spring is late here, I’m 1000ft up in the Scottish hills but I know the Galway/Connemara area and how mild it is there. I wish we were just a wee bit warmer here, the growing season is so short. Loving the videos đŸ™‚
Is that Bittercress I see growing with the fennel? Another lovely salad plant, and very under rated.
Lots of Bittercress growing on the land here…must use it more!
Oh how I envy your wonderful pictures! We are under 15inches of snow and the few bare spots that are thawing is just mud! I have no idea what is out there and has survived this brutal winter, but can’t wait to welcome some green and colour. I am hoping to start seeds in the green house this week (big green house made from re-cycled windows). Need to fix my coldframe though as the snow falling off the green house roof smashed the glass. Oh well I am sure Spring will come soon.
Take heart…Spring is on its way!