Rain fell last night and continues this morning.
There will be no lack of water in the well for the next few weeks!
I have finally given away my hens…as I no longer eat eggs and there was a lovely home ready and waiting for them where they would be more useful, as they are good layers and their eggs will be anticipated and appreciated where there is a family of people to eat them.
I shall miss them, but as with life at Bealtaine Cottage, the void is quickly filled and the hen-house will be re-purposed and appreciated further.
In the past, their manure was a part of developing the fertility of the land at Bealtaine, but this is no longer needed.
The compoost system is now working very well and far exceeds what any animal manure could bring to three acres.
Seed production is well under way, with some of the harvest already collected and much more coming to fruition.
We are now one week away from Midsummer, as evidenced in the lush growth seen here!
We inter-breath with the rain forests, we drink from the oceans. They are part of our own body. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
The fruit trees and bushes were pruned back quite hard over the course of last Autumn and Winter and they are happily producing yet another bumper harvest.
…no matter how complex or affluent, human societies are nothing but subsystems of the biosphere, the Earth’s thin veneer of life, which is ultimately run by bacteria, fungi and green plants.
~Vaclav Smil
Your deepest roots are in nature. No matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of life you lead, you remain irrevocably linked with the rest of creation.
~Charles Cook
“If we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.”
― J.M. Coetzee
Dear Collette, have you considered publishing a calendar using your beautiful photos? (in your spare time, of course)
I have indeed, Dimka, and looked into the cost…which turned out to be quite prohibitive. It would never have been purchased at the prices I was quoted, plus packing and postage too!
I was interested to see your straw mulch – I’ve been reading The Permaculture Garden by Graham Bell and he talks about this and other forms of mulch. We are in complete limbo at the moment as our house is not yet sold so we can’t make the move (hopefully to Wales) where I’m hoping to start my permaculture garden. Your posts are full of inspiration for me. I’m not sure I can go all the way to vegan – I so love cheese (and eggs!!).
Remember that there are multiple ways of achieving balanced living…I have found mine…each to their own. Blessings X
Hi Colette, beautiful post……must have been hard to wave goodbye to the Hens. Great to be a Vegan though. My Blackcurrant Plants I received from you have all taken, and the Nasturtium seeds and Lunaria too…..I so love that seed from you and Bealtaine are thriving in my garden…….I hope you have apeaceful Summer Solstice, under the special energy of that Cairn and the amazing space you have co-created with Mother Earth X
Great to hear of the success of the seeds and cuttings! Happy Solstice to you too!
OOPS, I forgot to ask how things are going with your book publication. Sally
Ongoing…
Good morning Colette, how wonderful your gardens look, verdant and lush, so much life. Which apple trees thrive for you at Bealtaine Cottage? While browsing I spotted a beautiful bowl of apples in one of you posts. Sally
I planted a wide range of apple trees and all of them are thriving…it’s to do with the Bees!
I forgot to ask if you did the floors in your cottage? I love those floors!
Yes, all from broken tiles that were destined for the landfill.
May I ask why you no longer eat eggs? Beautiful post 🙂
I am a Vegan now.
Collette I would love to hear the details about your human composting system. It sounds like you have a system that works well for you and I would love to see pictures and hear details about how it all works!!!
Just google the words that you want to know more about, followed by Bealtaine Cottage, and the search engine will find the relevant blogs for you…there are over 1,000 on this website…
Dear Colette,
Thank you. Now home with the three lovely ladies and a cockerel who can’t believe his luck! Will keep you informed. Marian x
Your piece of paradise is exploding of life! It is very beautiful! Thank you for sharing the beauty, and peace with us.