Smallholding – Bealtaine Cottage, Ireland

The Woodland Cottage

Image• Posted on August 3, 2018 by Colette O'Neill

So Grateful

Image• Posted on May 8, 2018 by Colette O'Neill

Bealtaine Cottage, Hope, Permaculture, sanctuary, Simple Living, Smallholding, Thoughts

Not Drowning, but Waving!

Posted on July 27, 2016July 27, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

It was some time coming…but those of you who have followed the Bealtaine Cottage Magical Gardens site on Facebook are aware of the proliferation of material I posted on there.

I was so passionate about spreading a message of optimism and love for Mother Earth, that I ended up with little or no time for the work I need to do here at Bealtaine Cottage!

I write and photograph for two blogs, upload to FB and Twitter, make a video and upload that as often as possible…the most recent one was almost an hour long!

I haven’t been able to find time for Soundcloud, and, as for enjoying the occasional day out or weekend away…not possible with such a busy schedule.

Something had to give!

So I decided to take a break from FaceBook and Twitter and have left a small statement on both sites informing my followers.

My page on FB quickly built up to almost 14,000 Likes, so I do feel a sense of abandoning so many good people, but do hope that they remember where I am and that I have not gone away!

Yesterday and this morning, following my decision, I have felt a lovely calm descend here…a sort of ability to breath deeper and exhale longer!

The story of Bealtaine Cottage began 12 years ago.

No-one in this part of Ireland was much interested in what I was trying to do…so I began writing and blogging about the generosity and energy of Mother Earth, in fact I felt compelled to do so.

“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.”

Anne Lamott

So, life at Bealtaine has come back in a circle, as I find myself happily snapping pics., eager to share them with all of you through this website.

“I remember feeling that pieces of me were scattered around the world; I belonged to her, Mother Earth.”
― Raquel Cepeda

I know that the best way I can be of service in these troubled times is to share Bealtaine Cottage with those who seek to reconnect with Mother Earth and develop a deeper understanding of the real world…not the one hurled at us by the mainstream media.

“The human body resonates at the same frequency as Mother Earth. So instead of only focusing on trying to save the earth, which operates in congruence to our vibrations, I think it is more important to be one with each other. If you really want to remedy the earth, we have to mend mankind. And to unite mankind, we heal the Earth. That is the only way. Mother Earth will exist with or without us. Yet if she is sick, it is because mankind is sick and separated. And if our vibrations are bad, she reacts to it, as do all living creatures.”
~Suzy Kassem

Bealtaine Cottage Good Life membership is 12 euros per year and allows me a small income to continue to grow the Bealtaine Project both here in Ireland and in the hearts and minds of good people all over the world.

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Permaculture, Personal, Smallholding, Sustainable Living

A New Beginning for Bealtaine Cottage!

Posted on May 17, 2016May 17, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

Today is an exciting and very uplifting day for Bealtaine Cottage and me! For the past year or so it’s been utterly frustrating not being able to share on this website.

Restrictions were placed upon me in relation to upload space for photographs, as I had used up virtually all of the allocated space of 13GB, which is that allowed on the Premium Plan from WordPress.

Well, today I paid for an upgrade which allows me unlimited upload space…a treat for myself and, I’m hoping one for you too!

As I type there is a lovely soft rain falling outside, refreshing and renewing the earth.

The same has happened here for me on the website…I feel a sense of renewal and excitement!

To be honest, writing and photographing Bealtaine Cottage and Mother Earth constitutes my first love!

Much as I love the interaction on social media, it can be very time-consuming and ultimately takes away from the work I do here!

The payment of an extra 200 Euros was necessary for the extended plan, but this liberates me from the strictures of what I can put out there for everyone to enjoy.

I will continue with the Bealtaine Cottage Good Life website and am working on a plan to do a sort of “joined-up”daily blog…watch this space! And so the story of Bealtaine Cottage continues, moving onwards and upwards!

“Country things are the necessary root of our life – and that remains true even of a rootless and tragically urban civilization. To live permanently away from the country is a form of slow death.”
― Esther Meynell

And so I hope to continue bringing the country to you!

Sharing this little sacred space in the west of Ireland, with the world…

The seasonal changes, garden, wildlife and Mother Earth…

The song of the Goddess and her inspired Permaculture…

Thanks for staying with Bealtaine Cottage…

This is a new beginning…Welcome back!

Thank you for supporting this blog

Permaculture, Politics, polytunnel gardening, Seeds, Smallholding, Thoughts, Uncategorized, vegetable garden

Seedlings, Slugs and Political Shenanigans

Posted on March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

On this beautiful day in the west of Ireland…Potting on seedlings, dealing with slugs and enjoying a bit of a rant! When something is not right, then it’s just not right!

Please consider supporting Bealtaine Cottage

Garden, Growing Food, hens, Permaculture, Permaculture Ireland, polytunnel gardening, ponds, Smallholding, Uncategorized

Garden in February (Part One)

Posted on February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

The year in the garden is now well under way, as Mother Earth awakens in a very visible way…not that she ever slept!

Coltsfoot is one of the first herbs to come into flower, for it flowers before it leafs and a very welcome sight this is!

Bronze fennel, that most vigorous of herbs and also a brilliant addition to the flower garden, starts to produce tasty leaves that can be added to early Spring salads.

Rocket has over-wintered well in the tunnel and forms the base ingredient.

Daffodils are now up and beginning to flower.

Daffodils on the hill above the cottage, around an old abandoned dwelling are in full bloom!

Reminders of Winter come and go, but not for long, sometimes just an hour or two of a light dusting of snow.

Never enough to hold back the advance of the seasons!

But beware the wind chill factor that comes with early Spring and wrap up warm when venturing out to work in the garden!

When the sun does shine, it is truly glorious and plants like Rhubarb spring into exuberant life!

A very hungry plant, Rhubarb eats up a generous dressing of well-rotted manure.

Euphorbia comes into life in the flower garden…here it shares a half barrel with a Fig Tree and both like each other’s company!

In fact, the Fig has fruited well year on year since getting a new bed fellow!

An old but treasured book is always at hand to delve into for advice on seasonal food, gardening and outdoors work!

I wonder if this little gem is still in print?

Beautiful catkins on the Hazel trees…flowers in fact!

The pond is filling with frogspawn and clumps of frogs celebrating the turn in the year as only frogs can!

Out in the hen-house the girls are in touch with the growing of the light as they come back into lay!

Mr and Mrs Fox are hungry and on the prowl! I often lay out food at night for the foxes, for the way I see it is simply this: we have interfered with the food chain by removing the animals that would have predated upon foxes.

This is my way of attempting to live in harmony as best I can…and ensuring that the girls in the henhouse are well protected!

Part Two of THE GARDEN IN FEBRUARY can be found on Bealtaine Cottage Good Life…

To subscribe, see the link below…

I’m happy to write, photograph, podcast, YouTube and Facebook on behalf of Mother Earth…it would be great if you could take a second or two to press the LIKE button, leave a comment, or even subscribe to Bealtaine Cottage Good Life…

http://bealtainecottage.com/bealtaine-cottage-good-life/

You can place an order for seeds harvested here at Bealtaine cottage, from the plants seen growing here…all strong and vigorous. Click on the link below that will take you to the selection available:

http://bealtainecottage.com/seeds-for-sale/

Current Affairs, Earth, Eco-Living, Food, Garden, Inspiration, Ireland, Life, Lifestyle, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding

Move to Higher Ground

Posted on August 8, 2014July 23, 2015 by Colette O'Neill

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 masses.

This is difficult to take on board, as we see more and more new cars on the road, but that too should sound the warning bells, for it means that the reality of the problem is not being faced up to!

Even governments are pushing car sales with various trade-in offers every so often!

Reaching Peak oil has serious knock-on effects for us all.

Everything we buy is predicated on oil in some way or another, some direct, most indirectly.

Most food production is reliant upon oil and artificial fertilizers.

Our lives are based upon consumptive behaviour.

Our society has been degraded by our inherent need for more!

Considering the implementation of serious lifestyle changes will be the only beneficial way of getting to higher ground to face the storms ahead.

Higher ground in terms of sustainable living and building community.

If there is madness, mayhem and destruction in the world, we have to own it before we can begin to bring change.

The best, most enduring change happens slowly, building upon small changes.

I urge each and every one of you to consider small changes you can implement in your lives, homes, community, workplace…just wherever one can do it, get on and do it!

Waiting for our governments to act is really a waste of time…they are trapped in the paradigm of economic growth on a finite planet!

Please, empower yourself and others to begin the shift to a world where we are not killing and warring for what little resources remain!

Our earth is abundant and capable of working with us in an interactive, not extractive, way.

The future belongs to the children whose faces we will never see…keep them in mind in all we do!

*************

Bealtaine Cottage is free and has over 850 blogs, as well as over 3,500 photographs.

Bealtaine Cottage Good Life is a mere 12 euros per year and allows me a small income, to keep doing what I love doing most…writing about Mother Earth and photographing her.

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You will then have access to the website and full blog as published twice each week.

This amounts to 104 publications per year, at a cost of 12 cents each!

Click on button below to join the website…

Link to Bealtaine Cottage Craft Shop…just opened…

Featuring hand-crafted Ancient Bog Oak Pendants…

http://bealtainecottage.com/craft-shop/

Bealtaine Cottage, Edible Gardens, Garden, Ireland, Life, Lifestyle, Permaculture, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding, Uncategorized, Wildlife

Permaculture Place to Stay in Ireland

Posted on July 20, 2014October 16, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

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. (Sammy-Bear is an optional bed-mate!)

The Lodge has a comfortable double bed and small single sofa-bed…as well as lots of pull-out floor cushions!It also has its own door to the garden and a sheltered veranda attached. This is the view of the gardens from the door.All four windows in the Lodge open onto sheltered gardens, as you can see.The connecting door to the cottage leads towards the shower-room and compost toilet…yes, this is a permaculture home and all the facilities are based on sustainable principles of living!With over a thousand trees planted here, the gardens boast shelter and a wonderful array of wildlife and birds.

This is indeed a sanctuary in the true sense of the word.With a great little wood-burning stove installed, the Lodge is cosy and warm throughout the seasons.

There are modern, luxurious places to stay all over Ireland…Bealtaine Cottage is different, in that it is part of the landscape and unashamedly connecting into Mother Earth!You can park your car right up alongside the Lodge by this window.

Breakfasts are Vegetarian or Vegan, sitting around a cosy stove in the old-fashioned kitchen.You can find all the details of cost and booking by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

Please note that B&B is no longer available at Bealtaine Cottage…Sorry!

Bealtaine Cottage, Bees, biodiversity, Birds, Cats, Edible Gardens, Garden, hens, Herbs, Permaculture, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding

New Permaculture Orchard

Posted on July 15, 2014July 15, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

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 been planting yet more layers into the orchard, mainly flowers and herbs to attract and feed the bees…my secret of abundant harvests; where would we be without the bees?

The next phase will include planting a bee-friendly hedge along the south edge of the area.

I planted Fuschia and Berberis, Dogwood and Rubus along the north edge.

As I cut back around the orchard, cuttings are dropped onto the ground around the trees and bushes as a mulch.
The planting continues as more and more flowers and herbs are brought from my small nursery area, a really important part of any permaculture garden or smallholding!

As with all my projects here at Bealtaine, I couldn’t resist using some Willow to effect, constructing a simple arbour that will eventually house a home-made bench, on which to sit and sup a cup of tea!
The plan of maximum planting has worked well all over the land here, building resilience as well as fertility into the land, as a forest does naturally.

The days have been warm and sunny, with the back door open all day long.

There is such a good balance of biodiversity here that flies don’t seem to be a bother…this can be a serious Irish complaint during the summer months!

I pulled the sofa chair over to the open door as I find the soft sounds of life in the gardens very soothing.

Sammy does too!

The idea of planting food trees is taking off here in the west of Ireland.

My local town of Drumshanbo has planted a Community Orchard near the entrance to the town…a great Transition Towns inspiration!

Abundance, compost, Country Living, Eco-Living, Edible Gardens, Food, Growing Food, Herbs, Permaculture, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding, Summer

Post Midsummer Polytunnel Gardening at Bealtaine Cottage

Posted on July 6, 2014July 6, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

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 food takes up the essential minerals and goodness in the soil and turns these into health-giving good food.

This was a good time to prune the Peach Tree and remove about half of the Nectarines and feed the tree.

I left some of the herbs in place and moved the rest into pots and outside beds.

“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.”
― Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture

“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
― Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution

“Organic is something we can all partake of and benefit from. When we demand organic, we are demanding poison-free food. We are demanding clean air. We are demanding pure, fresh water. We are demanding soil that is free to do its job and seeds that are free of toxins. We are demanding that our children be protected from harm. We all need to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done—buy organic whenever we can, insist on organic, fight for organic and work to make it the norm. We must make organic the conventional choice and not the exception available only to the rich and educated.”
― Maria Rodale, Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe

All the Poppy heads are now harvested, providing a massive amount of Poppy Seed…great in cooking and baking!

“Someday we shall look back on this dark era of agriculture and shake our heads. How could we have ever believed that it was a good idea to grow our food with poisons?”
― Jane Goodall, Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating

“All the human and animal manure which the world wastes, if returned to the land, instead of being thrown into the sea, would suffice to nourish the world.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

compost, Cottage, Country Living, Eco-Living, Garden, Inspiration, Ireland, Nature, Permaculture, Smallholding, Trees

Easiest Ever Compost Toilet

Posted on July 1, 2014July 8, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

The post you’ve all been waiting for…the Bealtaine Cottage Compost Toilet.

Easy to install and simple to use.

No running outside on cold mornings to tramp across wet grass to use the toilet!

This is located in the bathroom…not quite a bathroom though as I took out the bath and installed a shower instead!

There’s still a little bit of tweaking to be done to finish the project off to a high standard, like decorating the wall where the cistern used to be and making a wooden surround with a small door, but as you can see, it is simple and attractive.

This is the material used for covering one’s toilet.

It is grown here at Bealtaine Cottage, shredded in the shredder and smells nice and pine fragranced, as it is cut from evergreen trees in the gardens.

This material is also anti-bacterial.

There is absolutely no bad odour!

So what happens next?

The bucket is taken to a corner of the garden, tucked in behind a Willow fedge, and then emptied into a large bin. The bins have holes in the bottom so all liquid is drained out slowly.

This system uses five such bins on a rotation basis.

After about a year, the contents have turned into sweet-smelling compost that I use around trees in the lower gardens.

This compost is not used in the productive gardens as I have adequate vegetative compost on site in the vegetable and fruit gardens.

Besides…the trees thrive on the waste produced here at Bealtaine and in return, I have plenty of wood for my stove…cycle complete!

…and the Arum Lilies seem to like it!

In the course of life here at Bealtaine Cottage, there is really no need for a septic tank…flush it away?

There is no away!

If you liked reading this, why not Like, Comment or share with others on Twitter, FaceBook or email to a friend! Blessings XXX

If you enjoy all the stuff shared from Bealtaine Cottage on FaceBook, Youtube, Podcast, Twitter and this website…

Bealtaine Cottage, Birds, Buddha, Cats, Earth, Organic Garden, Smallholding, Thoughts, Uncategorized

Uplifted

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

The roses are in bloom on the veranda.

The view through the sitting room window is cheerful and lovely!

I sit with my back to the stove, warm, waiting for the kettle to boil on the hob, so as I can make a big pot of tea.

As I type the kettle begins to sing…

The day has been warm and dry with lots of sunshine.

I am still in my dressing gown, more relaxed and rested, thank goodness!

Sammy-Bear and Che-Mousey have kept me amused all day and Jack has been excellent company, staying close by my side, stoic and silent, as only the best dogs can be.

I have listened to music and read, made vegetable soup and slept.

Thank you all for your lovely, warm and uplifting messages…such a pleasure to read and such reassurance too…Bless you all XXX

The full moon is now waning and I feel I have learned something quite valuable…something to do with energy and being, though am not sure how to articulate it just yet.

I feel a shift of energy has taken place…for the better!

The weekend lies ahead and this Bealtaine Moon in Scorpio is waning.

May you all have a lovely, uplifting and positive weekend

XXX Blessings XXX

Abundance, Animals, Bealtaine Cottage, Country Living, cows, Current Affairs, E.U., Ecology, Edible Gardens, Food, Ireland, Organic Garden, Permaculture, Smallholding, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian

Food Harvest 2020

Posted on April 27, 2014April 27, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

Small farms in Ireland are in a steady decline and have been for several decades now.

Violets growing all over the woodland at Bealtaine Cottage

In fact farming is now referred to as an “industry”…a most illuminating use of language!

The pressure on small farmers to produce more and more, (mostly meat), is driving many off the land, as they find it difficult to compete with the bigger landowners and thus meat growers!

Sammy-Bear says "Hello!" — Sammy-Bear says “Hello!”

The countryside is fast losing vital habitat, as hedgerows are pulled out, trees felled and field size increased.

Apple blossom and Honesty flowers in bloom at Bealtaine Cottage

There is a government initiative behind this, of course…”Food Harvest 2020!”

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is Simon Coveney TD.

Minister Coveney held a meeting on the 17th of April.

Invitations were issued to key stakeholders, including farm organisations, beef processors and relevant state agencies to a round table discussion on the future development of the Beef Sector, as it is referred to!

Mixed planting in the very productive Potager Beds

Participants at this meeting were invited to discuss the government initiative, Food Harvest 2020.

This scheme was introduced by the Irish government to increase production of beef! (Ironic naming it “Food Harvest 2020!)

Golden Euphorbia in the early morning sunshine

Now, read this statement from the Minister of Agriculture…using language of industry, markets and sport!

Commenting today on the initiative, Minister Coveney said

“By some measures the beef sector is Ireland’s biggest indigenous industry, involving more than 100,000 farm families, and 8,000 jobs in processing, sales and marketing, with exports valued of more than €2 billion in 2013. Food Harvest 2020 set an initial target of a 20% increase in the value of output for the beef sector. The target for beef exports has already been exceeded.

The time is now right to sit down with key stakeholders in the sector, to consider the strategic approach needed to support its development, using the best available market intelligence, and the newest technology and research to improve performance at all levels of the supply chain. The beef sector makes a vital contribution to Irish agri food and to employment and the economy generally. I am convinced that with the right strategic approach and positive collaboration from all of the players, the beef sector in Ireland has a bright future.”

(https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/press/pressreleases/2014/april/title,74954,en.html)

All the while, loss of habitat is causing devastation!

Ferns and Spurge cover the floor of the Fairy Wood

Friends of the Earth, (FOE), have called on the Government to do a full Strategic Environmental Assessment of Food Harvest 2020.

Buddha wears a crown of moss in the Bog Garden

Other groups raising concerns with Food Harvest 2020 include:

The Irish Climate Justice Group

The Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership.

Friends of the Irish Environment and Allies

The European Commission has announced it is launching an investigation of whether proper procedures were followed.

The lower pond at Bealtaine Cottage, teeming with Newts, Frogs... — The lower pond at Bealtaine Cottage, teeming with Newts, Frogs…

Each and every photograph I post here on this website is taken at Bealtaine Cottage.

Stream flowing from the Spring Well through both ponds

These three acres of abundance exist because I took the cattle off the land.

I would like to invite Minister Simon Coveney to Bealtaine Cottage to see what happens to land when it is allowed and nurtured to re-generate!

The Lower Pond filled with clean Spring water that flows out into the River Shannon and on into the Atlantic Ocean!

We need, as a nation, to cherish our land and protect it for future generations.

We need to produce more Organic Food for our people rather than importing it…that means fruit and vegetables and grains!

Oh, by the way Minister…you may call it Food Harvest 2020, but, I and many like me, do not eat beef…not much food there then!

Bealtaine Cottage, Birds, Cottage, Country Living, Garden, hens, Inspiration, Permaculture, Smallholding, Spring, Uncategorized

Keeping Hens, in the Town or Country

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

The hens have settled into their new home and are all laying.

Happy clucks and soft singing emanates out from the hen house.

The secure enclosure promises to keep the Fox family away…for I have lost too many of my lovely hens to Mr and Mrs Fox. Inside, the house is spacious and comfortable, with an upstairs and five windows in total!

The system is similar to the one I used in London for over a decade.

It is known as a deep litter system, using lots of straw.

The dirty straw is then used in the gardens as a mega-mulch!The deep litter system allows the girls foraging in a limited space and I collect greens for them on days when they are stay at home.

Days when I am in the garden, the girls are allowed out under my watchful eye!

The mulching continues unabated, as the grass paths are mowed…grass clippings are piled onto cardboard as a weed suppressant, allowing newly planted trees to get a footing!

This is the system I have used for ten years and all the fruit trees are producing well.

Honesty is in full bloom now and being enjoyed by the bees.

Most of the early bees are bumble bees and are most prolific here at Bealtaine Cottage, where succession planting keeps all visitors fed from February through to the end of November.

The painted stone Cockerel stands guard by the front door of the cottage.

Newly mown paths allows everything alongside to look lush!

The Cherry tree, grown from seed, stands covered in blossom, with the promise of lots of Cherries, some high for the birds and some low for me!

The Bealtaine Feast has begun!

Seedlings are flourishing in the late Spring sunshine.

Animals, Bealtaine Cottage, Edible Gardens, Garden, Lifestyle, Permaculture, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding, Thoughts, Uncategorized

We Are At War!

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

The ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign was started at the beginning of World war two, in Britain,

The people of Britain were urged to use any spare land to grow vegetables.

Victory gardens were planted everywhere…and I mean everywhere!

All land was considered viable for planting, including gardens, lawns, parks, golf clubs and all public spaces even in the City of London, around the Tower of London, for example!

During the height of the war, when food was rationed through scarcity, there were 3.5 million allotments in Britain, producing over a million tonnes of vegetables and it was estimated that in 1944 British gardeners produced between 2 and 3 million tons of food overall!

People were encouraged to keep small livestock and ‘Pig Clubs’ were formed as a way of best utilizing leftovers to feed the pigs.

Hens and Ducks were kept for their valuable eggs.

The children growing up through this period of time were the healthiest ever reared in Britain.

My mother was born and raised during this time and lived a remarkably long and healthy life!

So, now we are all in a state of financial hardship and unemployment, I have one simple question to pose.

Why cannot our governments introduce a similar campaign?

We are at war…with poverty!

Animals, Bealtaine Cottage, Childhood, Country Living, Edible Gardens, Fairies, hens, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Organic Garden, Permaculture, Smallholding, Spring

Sustainable Food Revolution

Posted on April 9, 2014April 9, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

Living in a time when the cost of food is rising day on day, it might be time to re-think the lawn! This is what Bill Mollison, one of the founders of the Permaculture movement has to say on the subject:

“. . . every society that grows extensive lawns could produce all its food on the same area, using the same resources, and . . . world famine could be totally relieved if we devoted the same resources of lawn culture to food culture in poor areas. These facts are before us. Thus, we can look at lawns, like double garages and large guard dogs, [and Humvees and SUVs] as a badge of willful waste, conspicuous consumption, and lack of care for the earth or its people.Most lawns are purely cosmetic in function. Thus, affluent societies have, all unnoticed, developed an agriculture which produces a polluted waste product, in the presence of famine and erosion elsewhere, and the threat of water shortages at home.

The lawn has become the curse of modern town landscapes as sugar cane is the curse of the lowland coastal tropics, and cattle the curse of the semi-arid and arid rangelands…

Over the past few days I have been busy converting this little shed into a new hen house and run…food to swap and share…fresh eggs! it is going to be a simple enough barter, swapping a sack of logs for nine eggs. Most logs are traded at 3.50 a sack, so that’s a fair swap!

That makes a good swap as eggs are getting more expensive by the day and the logs will be delivered to my door! I just have to ensure that the hen house and run are secure against Mr ans Mrs Fox and family!

As Spring moves across the land, a drying wind is working its magic on the earth. The greening is under-way.

The view from the sitting room window is being filled in like a ‘Painting By Numbers,’ canvas. Ash trees are the last to get their leaves and so stand proud in all their silver glory against temperamental Spring skies.

This is the beautiful Field Maple to the front of the cottage.

Continuing my lifelong passion for trees…this is a wall tile I made from clay…complete with tree, a fairy tree.

The lone Fairy Thorn one often sees growing in the middle of fields here in Ireland served as my inspiration. They are often windswept and leaning away from the west.

This sits upon the dresser in the kitchen…a time when preserves were sold in stoneware jars. All containers were re-cycled, in that they were re-used…even milk bottles! Lemonade bottles had a money deposit attached to them and children would collect them up to return to the shop, as a way of earning pocket money!

Even cream came in little stoneware jars like this, as it kept cool in the pantry in the days before every home had a fridge!

“A sacred way of life connects us to the people and places around us. That means that a sacred economy must be in large part a local economy, in which we have multidimensional, personal relationships with the land and people who meet our needs, and whose needs are met in turn.”
― Juliana Birnbaum Fox, Sustainable Revolution: Permaculture in Ecovillages, Urban Farms, and Communities Worldwide

Bealtaine Cottage, biodiversity, compost, Cottage, Culture, Current Affairs, E.U., Eco-Living, Food, Garden, Growing Food, Home Made Wine, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, Nature, Permaculture, Seeds, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding, Sustainable Living, Trees, Wildlife

EU Pimping Monoculture Failure!

Posted on March 12, 2014March 12, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

Mist prevails as the earth slowly heats, releasing some of the water absorbed during the wettest winter on record here in Ireland.

The air is still and birdsong echoes through the foggy dew…

The first of the seeds are now sown in a big fish box in the tunnel, made from thick, white polystyrene, once marked out for the dump but rescued and up-cycled here at Bealtaine Cottage…perfect for seeds and young plants!

There’s a digger at work on the hill of Ballyfermoyle, I hear it’s machinations echoing through the misty morning.

Young trees and bushes are being torn up and tossed aside, in an effort for land to be measured by the EU on Google Maps.

Less tree cover shows more grass and it is grassland that the EU are paying farmers here in Ireland to grow.

More grass, more meat, more export, more globalization…you know the story!

And so, the Earth is losing more habitat in a land that cannot feed it’s own people…Ireland is heavily reliant on imported food!

Another famine lurks around the corner, as monoculture food systems are the order of the day, financed and controlled by the EU bureaucrats, blinkered up to the eyeballs with bullshit!

In this land of plenty there is little food grown around this area.

EU sponsored, subsidized and pimped Monoculture prevails!

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Bealtaine Cottage has built up a Permaculture Seed Bank.

If you want to see a list of available seeds, this link will take you there…

http://bealtainecottage.com/seeds-from-bealtaine-cottage/

Seeds from Bealtaine Cottage in Ireland are posted all over the world…the donation remains the same no matter where you live, even Outer Mongolia!

Bealtaine Cottage is also on YouTube…with over 110 videos about Permaculture, planting, growing and living.

There are over 600 blogs in the archives on this site.

As an Ark for Nature, trees and wildlife, the smallholding of Bealtaine Cottage receives no grant aid from the EU, as only farm animals, monoculture and set-aside are grant-aided!

Your donation helps remedy that…

Art, Bealtaine Cottage, Cats, Cottage, Current Affairs, Eco-Living, Ecology, Frugal Living, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Permaculture, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding, Sustainable Living, Thrift

Small Spaces and Tiny Homes

Posted on February 5, 2014February 5, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

Tiny homes are becoming popular.

We are realizing the importance of space…the space we actually need to live comfortably.

If I had the opportunity to build another home, it would, undoubtedly, be much, much smaller than Bealtaine Cottage.

Living comfortably means a warm home, less opening and closing of doors, one big room where all comforts are to be found, much in the same way as the old cottages used to be here in Ireland.

Here in this little Lodge, built onto the back of the cottage, constructed mostly from re-cycled materials, over-wintering is now embedded into my lifestyle.

Energy use is one-quarter of that needed for the cottage.

Small pieces of coppiced wood has fed the wood-burning stove, keeping all snug and cosy.

This was a decision I made out of a challenge, to prove that it was possible to be warm and comfortable through winter…and it is more than possible, it is a new-found freedom!

Cheap energy!

This is possible with a multi-faceted approach: one small, medium or even big living space; masses of insulation; small wood-burning stove; low energy lamps; a sofa bed, or, as in my case a bed that doubles as a sofa; woollen blankets and rugs; thick curtains and menu plan for cooking one-pot meals on the stove!

A small clothes-rail doubles as a drying rail as the heat from the wood burner keeps the place toasty!

I am a fan of the Tiny Home movement for many reasons, but, primarily because this way of living empowers one…absolutely! The more one can conserve and live minimally, the more power one actually has !

Planting lots of shelter-giving plants, shrubs and trees around it also helps the micro-climate inside and out.

A place to sew and knit in comfort with the luxury of a kettle of ever-free-boiling water is magic!

A door that opens onto the most sheltered part of the garden is a bonus.

And yes…that is an old table top up-cycled as a step!

Abundance, Bealtaine Cottage, Country Living, Earth, Eco-Living, Ecology, Edible Gardens, Fairies, hens, Life, Lifestyle, Nature, New Year, Permaculture, Smallholding, Trees, Woodland

A Year at Bealtaine…part 2

Posted on January 1, 2014January 1, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

Nine years of planting trees into barren, north-facing land has now awoken a magical earth, with paths that lead forever among dappled shade.

And every now and then open up into a secret garden…

…or two…

Some paths get overgrown fast as Nature’s abundance keeps giving.

The thousands of plants all jostle for space…

and are now self-seeding, like this little Cherry tree growing next to an Oak!

Willow arches that lead into the Fairy Wood at Midsummer.

The delicate blossom on the Mountain Ash, also known as the Rowan Tree.

A place for tea in the garden on long summer days.

The standing stone by the lower pond in the Bog Garden.

Willow…

And more Willow!

Paths…

And more paths!

The lane-way in Summer, walking down to collect…

the post!

The plants take over as Summer holds sway…

And roses outside on the veranda go completely crazy!

Gosh…there’s lots more to share for 2013, so a “Part 3” will be needed!

Happy New Year from Bealtaine XXX

Bealtaine Cottage, Cottage, Country Living, Ecology, Edible Gardens, Garden, Growing Food, hens, Herbs, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, Organic Garden, Permaculture, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding, Uncategorized

A Year at Bealtaine Cottage…

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

Not in any particular order…pictures of the year that was…

With the oven hot enough to bake a cake…my beloved Stanley Stove in the kitchen…

Early morning mist sweeps up the valley…

One of the Plum Trees laden with fruit…

The moon rising over the gardens…

Salix Contorta, or Twisted Willow, with Hag-Stones hanging from one of its branches.

Nasturtiums by the veranda.

Back of Bealtaine, near the main production gardens.

The lower pond in the Bog Garden.

My darling Missy…gone from this mortal coil, but her energy is felt…

Firing up the Rocket Stove with a bit of an old fence post…wicked heat!

Early Spring in the gardens near the tunnel.

Washing in the wind!

Home made compost.

Apple blossom…a great apple harvest every year without fail!

The tunnel in May…seedlings in pots and trays everywhere!

Productive gardens, around the tunnel and herb beds, in May

The Hen house…I will definitely get some more hens in 2014!

I miss the girls…hens are very relaxing to watch.

Bluebells under the kitchen window…I shall post some more tomorrow

Happy New Year to you all XXX and Blessings from Bealtaine.

Abundance, Animals, Autumn, Bealtaine Cottage, Blessing, Cats, Cottage, Country Living, Dogs, Eco-Living, Edible Gardens, Food, Garden, Inspiration, Ireland, Permaculture, Smallholding, Sustainable Living, Trees

Irish Cottage Life

Posted on October 21, 2013October 22, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

The permaculture gardens are very wet today…the rain has been quite relentless!

Never mind!

Lots to do indoors and sorting through boxes of “things,” I was happy to find these lovely Yuletide cards.

Doesn’t she look gorgeous in the snow?

As I am receiving orders for the Bealtaine Cottage Christmas Book, I thought that I would add these lovely cards, as a way for me to send the book to someone you love, with a card inscribed with your message.

Anyway, you can have a peek, using the link at the top of the page!

Missy continues to make a steady recovery, though has refined her taste-buds to a rather expensive prescription cat food, available only from Suzy the Vet, in Boyle.

When I refer to Missy as a “high maintenance gal!” …I’m not kidding!

Please ignore the clothes drying all over the stove today…it is rather wet outdoors!

Makes it really “Shabby Chic” style!

I take Jack into see Suzy the Vet, tomorrow morning, to have his “thumb nails” clipped.

Jack loves travelling in the car and tries to snap every other vehicle he sees on the road!

Which is why he can only ever be walked on a lead!

Dodging in and out, to collect up the logs, my friend Marian delivered to me yesterday, I still managed to get wet!

I’m stacking them under the shelter of the veranda by the lodge.

Despite the dull, rainy day, the gardens continue to look colourful!

As you can see, the potager beds continue in their abundance, producing herbs, vegetables and flowers.

There is never any shortage of work to be done here at Bealtaine Cottage!

Tree coppicing continues along the north bank, in front of the cottage, opening up the view just a little, as well as supplying the stove with kindling and small logs.

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This is a new beginning…Welcome back!

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On this beautiful day in the west of Ireland…Potting on seedlings, dealing with slugs and enjoying a bit of a rant! When something is not right, then it’s just not right!

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I’m happy to write, photograph, podcast, YouTube and Facebook on behalf of Mother Earth…it would be great if you could take a second or two to press the LIKE button, leave a comment, or even subscribe to Bealtaine Cottage Good Life…

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Please note that B&B is no longer available at Bealtaine Cottage…Sorry!

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The roses are in bloom on the veranda.

The view through the sitting room window is cheerful and lovely!

As I type the kettle begins to sing…

I am still in my dressing gown, more relaxed and rested, thank goodness!

XXX Blessings XXX

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Living in a time when the cost of food is rising day on day, it might be time to re-think the lawn! This is what Bill Mollison, one of the founders of the Permaculture movement has to say on the subject:

As Spring moves across the land, a drying wind is working its magic on the earth. The greening is under-way.

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Never mind!

Lots to do indoors and sorting through boxes of “things,” I was happy to find these lovely Yuletide cards.

Doesn’t she look gorgeous in the snow?

As I am receiving orders for the Bealtaine Cottage Christmas Book, I thought that I would add these lovely cards, as a way for me to send the book to someone you love, with a card inscribed with your message.

When I refer to Missy as a “high maintenance gal!” …I’m not kidding!

Please ignore the clothes drying all over the stove today…it is rather wet outdoors!

Makes it really “Shabby Chic” style!

Jack loves travelling in the car and tries to snap every other vehicle he sees on the road!

Which is why he can only ever be walked on a lead!

I’m stacking them under the shelter of the veranda by the lodge.

As you can see, the potager beds continue in their abundance, producing herbs, vegetables and flowers.

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