Why Save Seed?

All seed-saving at Bealtaine Cottage helps to preserve heirloom seeds’ genetic diversity! This is Bealtaine Cottage Lunaria. This seed has adapted over twelve years to grow in difficult conditions, for as you know, it rains frequently here and the gardens are all on a north-facing slope. This is why the seed saved here, year after year, is more resilient than commercial seed, which is grown in ideal conditions for the maximum production value! Saving seed also makes one value the pollinators, especially the Bees…for without their incredible work there would not be any seed to collect! During the 1900’s we…

Move to Higher Ground

August 8, 2014July 23, 2015 Categories: Current Affairs · Earth · Eco-Living · Food · Garden · Inspiration · Ireland · Life · Lifestyle · Self-Sufficiency · SmallholdingTags: Bealtaine cottage · children · climate change · consumption · cost of petrol · destruction · earth · environment · future · Gaia · garden · higher ground · Ireland · peak oil · Permaculture · petrol pumps · systematic destruction of Mother Nature · war11 Comments

We are facing a multitude of crises at this time. War, austerity, climate change, environmental disaster…the list goes on. Each month seems to bring a stronger cumulative effect in how we are perceiving the world around us…many feel threatened and some even feel doomed. It has been quite some time now since the cost of petrol at the pump has dropped, in fact the opposite has happened, as the cost has climbed steadily, week on week. This tells us, in no uncertain terms, that we have reached Peak oil and there will never again be affordable car travel for the…

Permaculture Place to Stay in Ireland

July 20, 2014October 16, 2016 Categories: Bealtaine Cottage · Edible Gardens · Garden · Ireland · Life · Lifestyle · Permaculture · Self-Sufficiency · Smallholding · Uncategorized · WildlifeTags: alternative Ireland · Bealtaine cottage · compost toilet · Mother Earth · open all year · Permaculture · permaculture B&B · places to stay · real Ireland · sanctuary to stay · sustainable principles of living · vegan · vegetarian · visiting Ireland · visitors · wildlife in ireland · wood-burning stove17 Comments

Bealtaine Cottage is a Permaculture Smallholding in the West of Ireland that has been developed from barren land over the past ten years. As a way of spreading the permaculture message of hope and regeneration, the gardens and cottage have remained open to visitors from all over the world during this time. Many visitors have spoken of their wish to be able to stay at Bealtaine Cottage and have invariably had to seek accommodation at local B&B homes. This is the Lodge, dedicated for anyone who wishes to stay and spend more time than just a visit to Bealtaine Cottage….

New Permaculture Orchard

July 15, 2014July 15, 2014 Categories: Bealtaine Cottage · Bees · biodiversity · Birds · Cats · Edible Gardens · Garden · hens · Herbs · Permaculture · Self-Sufficiency · SmallholdingTags: balance · Bealtaine cottage · biodiversity · Drumshanbo · flies in Ireland · fruit trees · hens · manure · orchard · Permaculture · preparation of ground · Transition Towns Movement5 Comments

Last year I planted a new orchard at Bealtaine Cottage. To date there are thirty eight fruit trees planted across the three acres of land here. This new orchard was planted on an area previously fenced off and used for hens over a period of years. This is always a good start, as the land was prepared by the hens in terms of manuring and picking over. Before the trees were planted I laid down a generous spread of seaweed and covered this with cardboard, to hold back the weeds for a year or so. Over the morning I have…

From the Fringe…

July 14, 2014July 14, 2014 Categories: Abundance · Bealtaine Cottage · biodiversity · compost · Culture · Current Affairs · Eco-Living · Ecology · Edible Gardens · Food · Gardens · Growing Food · Inspiration · Ireland · Life · Permaculture · Self-SufficiencyTags: apple juice · biodiversity · birthing · bouquets · compost · earth · edges · Every Little Helps · food · fringes of society · harvest · investments · London · main stream media · morning · own it · Permaculture · poor land · real economy · sacred place · saving apples · scents · surplus · taking care of people8 Comments

The start of the week in this sacred place, where edges meet and overlap…a cooling, calming morning. Yesterday was a day of visits and creating bouquets to take with me. The gardens are flourishing and birthing beauty all around me, so there was much to gather and choose from. This is the tenth year using the roll of cellophane bought for me by my eldest daughter all those years ago as a leaving London present! Small investments can and do go on giving! Walking the gardens this morning, after the rain, with the earth scents rising all around me, it…

Post Midsummer Polytunnel Gardening at Bealtaine Cottage

July 6, 2014July 6, 2014 Categories: Abundance · compost · Country Living · Eco-Living · Edible Gardens · Food · Growing Food · Herbs · Permaculture · Self-Sufficiency · Smallholding · SummerTags: Bealtaine cottage · Culture and Agriculture · food production · harvests · healthy food · Jane Goodall · Les Misérables · Maria Rodale · Masanobu Fukuoka · organic · polytunnel · Polytunnel gardening · The Unsettling of America · Victor Hugo · Wendell Berry11 Comments

Second-phase food production is under way as from this week. Midsummer has passed and many harvests are home or under-way. This week has seen me clear the tunnel, spread lots of compost afresh on the beds and begin planting for the next phase of crops. As I cleared the tunnel and collected masses of seeds and seed-heads, I was thinking about the crops I would plant. Number one on my list is Kale; one of the great foods, especially in juicing. Regular intake of Kale juice keeps health at a peak. Soil is the most important aspect of good food. The…

Bottling Summer

June 27, 2014June 27, 2014 Categories: Abundance · Bealtaine Cottage · Bloom · Cottage · Country Living · Earth · Edible Gardens · Fairies · Frugal Living · Garden · Home Made Wine · Inspiration · Life · Lifestyle · Nature · Permaculture · Self-Sufficiency · Summer · Uncategorized · WineTags: blackcurrant wine · bottling · cottage borders · depths · feast for the senses · Feverfew · galic oil · herbs · making garlic and herb oil · Midwinter · Oregano · polygonum · smiles · summer · the Summer · valerian · visitor · wine · wine bottles25 Comments

The old tin bath has been taken down from the wall of the barn. Used wine bottles are left to steep for a few hours in rainwater. Washed and clean, ready to be filled with home-made Blackcurrant wine. There is always at least one day during the Summer, when one feels enthusiastic enough to overcome the reluctance to get stuck into bottling wine…today, all the right chords were struck and the work began! Cork stoppers were duly washed and left to soak and soften, till, finally… the wine was securely bottled! All that remains to be done is labelling…Chateau Bealtaine!…

A New Way of Living

May 8, 2014May 8, 2014 Categories: Abundance · biodiversity · compost · Country Living · Edible Gardens · Food · Frugal Living · Garden · Growing Food · Inspiration · Life · Permaculture · Seeds · Self-Sufficiency · Summer · Sustainable Living · Uncategorized · Vegan · VegetarianTags: access to land · arugula · broccoli · Cabbage · cauliflower · compost · energy · food production · growing space · harvesting easy · kale · micro greens · micro salads · Mother Earth · mother earth honoured · Mustard greens · precious space · preparing food · radish · red cabbage · seeds to grow from · turnip · vegan21 Comments

Food production can be a problem for many people who have little or no access to land. There are many who live in conditions where even a balcony is a precious space. I have spoken before about the ways in which access to growing space can be achieved, through allotments, community gardens and the like, but here is something which may prove to be an inspiration, a new way of looking at food, both growing it and eating! As an aspiring Vegan, (sometimes I miss the mark!) and dedicated grower and lover of all life, I have recently been converted…

Lower The Lifeboats!

April 16, 2014 Categories: Bealtaine Cottage · Bees · Cats · Climate · Current Affairs · E.U. · Food · Fracking · Growing Food · Permaculture · Self-Sufficiency · Sustainable Living · UncategorizedTags: community · disabled · economic crisis · fracking · mainstream media · national governments · national well being · october 2008 · poison · political debate · sick children · sustainable living · The economic crisis · unemployed · water11 Comments

The economic crisis, that became evident to all in October 2008, has never really been discussed in the mainstream media. Much of what could, and should, have been put in place by national governments, to ameliorate the dreadful effects of this crisis, have been blatantly air-brushed from the media and political debate! We continue to be sold the illusion of full employment for all. As direct fallout from the media hype around this lie, many people are feeling inadequate and hopeless, believing it to be their fault that they are job-less. The media has demonized the unemployed and disabled, citing examples of…