Easy to grow salads, almost ready to eat from the box!
This mixture of seeds, mostly saved seeds, so the cost is minimal, has taken about 3 weeks to germinate and grow, outdoors.
Coriander, Parsley, Lettuce, Spinach, Leeks, fennel and more, all jostle together.
These will be cut and cut again for several harvests.
Some of the bigger, stronger seedlings will be pricked out and planted on.
I want to thank all of you who commented and liked on yesterday’s blog…this has really energized me!
Living on one’s own can be quiet at times and it was so great to get such lively and uplifting feedback…bless you all XXX
I love to forage and dig about at old dump sites, many of which can be found around old Irish cottages.
Nothing was ever thrown, but rather placed in the ditch or bank, so when people like myself excavate decades later, much of what we find remains intact.
This is a selection of old bottles dug up and cleaned.
Some of them are really beautiful, don’t you think?
Among other things, the practice of excavating old sites is directly linked to antique bottle collecting and glass-making.
This hobby is so very interesting as it allows a picture of the past to be slowly unraveled and a new tapestry created of past lives.
As I write there is a light spray of rain in the air…it is barely falling!
The ground has been dry and water levels in wells have dropped in recent weeks.
A week of rain would be very welcome.
The rain-water barrels have served me well, but are now empty.
Close planting has helped preserved the moisture in all of the beds.
The dry weather has also been great for seed collection.
I have hung Mizuna and Purple Sprouting Broccoli in the barn to dry off.
This Parsley seed will be ready to hang very soon.
Hover-flies buzz endlessly around the flower-heads of the Cotoneaster.
Leycestria Formosa grows like a weed here in the west of Ireland and the flower-heads transform into chocolate-scented berries much loved by the Blackbirds.
In between, it makes a beautiful bush…
Summer prevails and may continue long into September, making a seamless merge into late Autumn.
Enjoy every day in some small way…Blessings X
Bealtaine Cottage has a brand new website…it’s called Bealtaine Cottage Good Life…TO READ MORE, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW WEBSITE. SEE:
http://bealtainecottage.com/2015/04/01/an-invitation/
Hi Colette. You really do have a beautiful garden, well done!!
I live in a quiet remote corner of New Zealand called Golden Bay where we are working at a collective level to make our small region a Model for a Sustainable Future. We are geographically isolated, culturally charmed and have a wonderful community of forward thinking people who care deeply for this planet and all those aboard. It’s lovely to see someone on the other side of the world (the busy side) doing the same thing.
How uplifting to hear that Sue…blessings on you and your fellow travellers on this journey into a sustainable future! XXX Colette
Reblogged this on Bealtaine Cottage and commented:
…allows a picture of the past to be slowly unravelled and a new tapestry created of past lives.
I love the shapes, designs and colours of your bottles, something magical about them and what might have been inside.
We have just have a massive thunder storm here in the South West of England, our cats hated it, but I love the power of the storm and the freshness of the air and ground when it’s finished.. the sun is now shining and I’ll be off to coax no: 1 cat out of the airing cupboard!
Luv
Maura xx
Lovely to hear from you, Maura
Blessings XXX
Beautiful and eloquent as usual. It is very sad that people do not realize the value of clean water. We have rain barrels as well. This June has been very dry and the barrels are empty. The next few days will bring well needed rain and replenish our supply. But unfortunately climate change is effecting our rainfall and growing season here in Western Massachusetts. We are doing our best to carve out a sustainable lifestyle. More and more people are going this way. The smell of sweet honey suckle and the buzz of bees is so peaceful. Thank you for your inspiration. Johanna and Bob
This makes me realize even more, just how precious and fragile a link we hold to Mother Earth…it’s good to see so many people strengthening that link! Blessings to you both XXX
I love the old glass bottles, they’re beautiful! I’m living down in Athea, Co.Limerick by the way and I love reading your blog posts! Always inspiring! We sure could do with some rain, we have heavy clay here and the ground is cracking in places. Water butts have been dry for a while now! Looking forward to the sound of rain! : )
The rain is falling here as I type…and what a lovely sound! may it drift down towards you soon…
Blessings X
I live in an apartment in New York City and I enjoy “visiting” your farm through your blog–I am transformed through your depictions of the smells and sounds and sights of the rich earth even as I sit here on the 10th floor in Brooklyn and in the distance hear the sounds of traffic rise from the city! Thanks for your postings…I can’t even remember how I found your blog but I love it, feel enriched by it…
Oh Cheryl, I can imagine you there in New York…it sounds wonderfully vibrant with all the life sounds! Thanks for invoking a sense of one of the most buzzing cities on Earth.
Blessings X
I love the herbs and the bottles are beautiful. I have an affinity for glass bottles and jars and even save new ones if they have a interesting shape. Like you, I am completely alone, but I do live in old neighborhood in the suburb of a large city. You are only the 2nd person I’ve found who lives completely naturally as you do. The first ones were a family in the US, but in my opinion, in recent years they’ve gone too commercial , selling themselves out and ruining the whole concept. I hope that you continue with your pure and natural lifestyle!
Thanks Dawna…I do love living this close to Mother Earth. Whatever the future holds I will always stay close to her…the fount of all happiness and abundance.
Blessings and happiness to you XXX
Love the baby herbs and veg, what a great idea. And the seeds, I have broccoli seeds maturing right now but am not sure what to look for to know they are ready to hang.
If they’re in the pods and the pods have thickened, then you can hang them to dry out…or leave them in situ if the weather is good.
I did wonder if you had unearthed any treasures while digging. We only have a tiny garden but we have found an amazing amount of pottery bits. It makes you wonder who owned them.
Never thought of bringing that monster purple brocolli inside to dry the seed. I’ll do that so I can plant something else there, thanks.
Gardening and archaeology go well together!