Sunday morning. We are slowly morphing into Summer and great change is in the air…one can smell it, for the earth is opening, pushing life outwards in a great birthing. Summer comes into the west of Ireland as April sets on the western horizon…the ancient festival of Bealtaine draws near!
There is a “filling-in”, all across the gardens, a “painting by numbers”, effect as the buds open and colour wash the landscape in shades of green and soft water colours.
I walked out through the gardens this morning taking these pictures as I went. Early morning in the gardens is a special time, for the light casts shadows and highlights plants and trees that over the course of the day seem quite ordinary.
Both the orange blanket and the old window have been lifted off emerging seedlings and young plants so they can enjoy the sunshine and warmth of the brightening day.
Jack loves to sleep on the wooden veranda of the studio where the heat of the sun mellows into perfect basking mode!
Tender seedlings, so beloved of snails and slugs, now hang from impenetrable trees, high above the restaurant queue that shuffles around below…
Honesty has won the race against London Pride in being the first to flower…and what a show off! The purple flowers are a spectacle in themselves!
The promise of Summer in early blooms…nothing lifts the heart higher than this…
Magnolia Stellata has opened to reveal the perfect soft white that is the most flattering white of all!
The woodland fills out more and more with every passing day…
Apple blossom is waiting in the wings to make a grand entrance!
Bluebells and Ferns emerge from their slumbers and in good time as the woodland awakens.
All is well, all is well!
Blessing Dear Colette & “The Boy”, I am inquiring about your address for mailing purposes. Is it to be addressed as you have indicated here on your blog? Bealtaine,BallyfermoyleKeadueBoyle, County Roscommon F52 yp74? Thank you, Faith.
Colette O’Neill
Bealtaine Cottage
Ballyfermoyle
Keadue
Boyle
County Roscommon
F52 YP74
Ireland
Thank you for the clarification. Blessings🌸
Dear Colette, and….blessings to you, and that Happy Jack! I have after watching your You Tube about planting a hanging garden so I’ve got a strawberry plant and I planted Kale seeds, we’ll see what happens. You are an inspiration, and I enjoy our time together. For the first time, I’ve got a HollyHock in my garden, it is a beauty. Not where I put the seeds 2 years ago, Mother Earth had other ideas. I love you Fuchsia’s, growing into bushes, they are stunning. I have one in a hanging pot, I didn’t know they grew into bushes, I am in growing zone 6 here in Ohio. I don’t think with our harsh winter it would overwinter well. X Faith
Hello Colette! Just wanted to tell you that you’ve inspired me to have a “cut & come again” garden – we’ve planted up a hanging pocket garden and suspended it from a fence in the sunniest part of our garden… it has six rows of different sorts of lettuces… chard, bok choy, curly leaf, red lettuce, arugula, and a mixed greens combo. What a delicious way to eat, and it beautifies the surroundings at the same time! I do have to be careful to water it every day, though… the small pockets drain very efficiently, and therefore dry out quickly.
It is the simplest and easiest way to grow salad greens!
I found your site and spent last evening visiting. You have added wonder and amazement to your beautiful home and garden. The bird songs are so special! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
I just listen to the audio recording and it is wonderful to to hear your beautiful voice which is so calm and refreshing, i pray that this pandemic will soon end so we can all get back to normal life, i am glad to know it has not stop you from enjoying your gardening the pictures are beautiful, please take care of yourself and may God continue to be with you as take of this beautiful Earth He has given us.
Blessings X
I enjoy joining you & Jack as often as possible. Walking with you is just s pleasure makes every visit magical, you comment often make my smile, you rants are always so warranted and so close to my own thoughts. Plus Jack is just so adorable. You have made a little gem in a quite grime world, I hope your second plot will bring just as much joy, (I an positive it will ) Blessings Colette, Jack and all you Blessed creatures who take up residence in you magical world
Blessings Carol XXX
Now May, I’m reading/seeing your April post; it is pure joy! So beautiful…love the ‘painting by numbers’ analogy…Happy Maytime Xx
Lovely as usual. Thank you. 🌷🥀🌹🌻
I just love walking along in spirit in your garden, you inspire me and give me hope that someday my garden will open up a wonderland of my own. Last Fall I lost my orange tree to disease so she had to go to protect the neighborhood citrus trees here in Florida, and the tree trimmers cut back my gardenia shrub which I was sure wouldn’t bloom this spring yet she is blooming in all her glory and the hibiscus I thought I lost to the last deep freeze of the winter has held fast and yesterday I was gifted with a single bud so far. This week I am moving the olive tree from pot to ground along with 3 rosemary plants aching to put in deeper roots.
Colette your garden is Paradise! Beautifully tended by you! Absolutely stunning photography with light
shining through highlighting nooks and crannies! Made my day! God bless you Shirley XX❤️
Hello Colette, thank you for. The updates. Loving the flowering activity here in my garden too.
Apple blossom signs of abundance blossoms on the plum tree new growth on the fig tree.
All gifts from Gaia .The peaceful way you document all new growth around you is exactly how it is
bringing about peace for everyone connected within.
Hugs and Blessings my friends.💚🌹
Beautiful, love that you take such good care of Mother Earth. Blessings to you and Jack
This morning watched as you fashioned that new Laurel arbor. Wow! Clever, handsome and really compliments the rest of the gardens & cottage.
What a beautiful morning walk you had, those photos look beautiful. Wishing you and Jack a safe and happy week ahead.
Hi Colette
Sunday morning I just finished watching you build your new archway by your new vegetable garden what a lovely addition to your gardens the Pink Roses will be beautiful along with the Sweet Peas. The trees look like they are covered in lace. I enjoyed the Bats I had several Bat Houses throughout the trees on my small 1/4 acre Like you I was always thrilled when they returned, I hope the new people who bought my home have kept them up as most people are afraid of Bats. I start each day with one or three of your videos it sends me to my happy place always a garden Wishing you great health, peace and contentment always love to you and wonderfully Fey Jack
Blessings
Joyce E. B
Ontario, Canada
Sweet breath of botanical, Bealtaine joy!
The arbor is gorgeous Colette.
We are receiving the blessing of rain here in California on this lovely, wet, April day.
Sage
Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos dearest Colette , they make my heart sing . As I was looking at them it felt like I was there walking beside you . Have a lovely day , blessings to you and darling Jack xxx💜💜💜
Thank you for a lovely review of spring; such a joy to read! Our Spring is just beginning here in the mid-Atlantic region of the US. Outside my lace-curtained window is a lovely blooming trio of lilac colored lilac, bright gold plenaflora and eastern red bud that is a shocking pink that the bees and other pollinators adore and so do I. Blessings Abound
Gorgeous, gorgeous photos! It’s such a lovely time of year with the promise of summer approaching. Blessings always x
Just stunning, Colette. Thank you for sharing this abundance and magic. Things are blooming in Southwest Michigan, too, but Beltaine Cottage brings a smile to my heart every time I see it. 🙂 Blessings for Beltaine!
Thank you for this gift. What a surprise. You are special. 🙂
Beautiful. Just beautiful. 🙂
Lovely and magical place Colette. Enjoy your beautiful Sunday in your garden, lovely place to be.
This is such an uplifting and peaceful start to my day. Blessings to you, Colette, and to the handsome boy!
Beautiful photos today Colette. Your veggies are doing really well, lovely salads with lettuce & peashoots
The colours of the blossom & flowers 🌸 is breathtaking. Thank you for sharing with us. Blessings ❣️
Oh, Colette! Your woodland is beautiful!! I am so delighted! My garden isn’t doing well this year. I got 2 puppies at Christmas and they have take up residence in my garden beds. They especially like the taste of the blooms and roots of my plants😟. No worries, though, I bought a cherry tree and I am planting it with some chicken wire around it. It will grow with the puppies! I will replant my garden when they are a bit older and they are trained not to dig in the flowers.
I notice you have a magnolia tree. Magnolias are my favorite trees. I would love to see it in full bloom. Is it planted near the cottage or further in the woodland?
Thank you for sharing your home with me. It really is a work of love and dedication.
Have a wonderful afternoon!
Mary B
Mary, it is planted in a big blue pot and I really need to get it into the earth this year, but I shall wait until flowering is over.
Great photos!!! I am glad you’ve changed the layout of the blog, as the other one was slower to load. Have a lovely day!
I’m happy that this one is a bit speedier…it is a massive website!
Hello Colette & Jack Just to say everything is looking wonderful. You are a constant Joy you and Jack should be bottles and sold as a tonic, as you surly are just that. Bless you Both Carol and my 7 cats
Beautiful Colette! I
You’ve done such a wonderful job there! 🌱🌺🌿🌾
Wish you and Jack a wonderful Sunday. Later this day I will viset youtube to see all the beauty around your house. love it how it is, a fairytail garden with so much life in it.Blessing for you and jack.
Your beautiful photos bring joy to the heart.
Beautiful and full of life time of the year. I can see the “spaces “ in our garden “ filling in” too. Our pond is a tadpole haven. Xxx
Absolutely beautiful! Such a wonderful walk through your sacred haven. Thank you!!
Bless you Colette, have a great Sunday xxx