The colours of the pre-dawn are magnificent, it is also the expectation of what is to come, the light! The light that will colour the world once again for another day.
Pre-dawn light
Last week saw me travel up to the city several times for appointments and one of those was early in the morning, so it was that I was able to enjoy the dawn albeit from a bus window. To see the first light appearing and the mist rising has always had me spellbound and needless to say I enjoyed it very much.
I had nothing else to do but sit and observe how the light scattered the darkness.Being driven through the rural Irish landscape at this time of day is magical, the land still covered here and there with garlands of mist.Flashes of colour reached my eyes distorted by the speed the bus was travelling, I loved it.If I wanted to paint I could not do any better than what the eye of my mobile phone offered me in colour and form.
I was in a reality all my own
It was as beautiful as any of my other realities
Another day started and I was thankful to make it a good one
On my walk today I noticed an old rusty barn in the middle of a large field. It looked interesting and colourful in the landscape. The long valley in which Skibbereen town lies and where the river Ilen flows through on its way to the sea at Baltimore was this morning filled with sunshine, a beautiful early spring day. I was thinking that this barn would have had great use in the olden days, or maybe it is used still. It has its own beauty. I wonder at its story.
Signs of spring are also upon us, the buds of trees are to be seen all around. I think that it is a little early in the year to talk about real spring as it can still get very cold in February and March, but this winter has been mild and we have not seen the usual stormy and very wet weather. That the daffodils are open is normal for this time of year though.
The lichens and the moss have totally overtaken this tree trunk and they are so beautiful in themselvesHere you can see how a piece of the old railway connecting Skibbereen to Cork is being reused as a gate pole, you see that more often around here. The barn looks a little uneasy here, and seems to be surrounded by rushes which we know grow in wet groundI love the colours of ivy and there is so much of it around here, the bronze and a variety of green on the leaves, and the bright berries some of which have become red. I actually never noticed this before, only ever saw their colour purple or green.And also along this roadside are the winter heliotrope plants, but not flowering yet, these plants are invasive and non-native to Ireland but a welcome addition to winter’s growth on the land.
A nice short walk and yet so much to be seen even at this time of year, a real pleasure showing that things do not have to be perfect for us to enjoy them and that older building can have a beauty all of their own.
I feel that the old barn does make this landscape beautiful even in all its imperfection. Its colours blend perfectly into its surroundings. Along a modern highway it connects us with the past and with the people that were working the land, and maybe still are. I am particularly interested in the older buildings around town and around the area, always wondering about their story and the story of the people that lived and worked and built those buildings.
While preparing this post I came across a quote by Diana Athill which spoke to me so strongly, I know that what she is saying has been true for me and so I never take anything special that I see for granted. I have a large collection of these hidden gems in my mind that I can access anytime I want and I do and I find it very beneficial.
Here the quote: “Looking at things is never time wasted. If your children want to stand and stare, let them. When I was marvelling at the beauty of a painting or enjoying a great view it did not occur to me that the experience, however intense, would be of value many years later. But there it has remained, tucked away in hidden bits of my mind and now it comes, shouldering aside even the most passionate love affairs”. Diana Athill
Even as a young girl I have always loved keeping houseplants and our mother allowed me to take care of those we had at home. Our collection consisted mainly of clivia’s and sansevierias, also busy lizzies and geraniums. Later after my husband and I moved to Ireland and lived in a lodge house, there I started a new collection. Houseplants were not so much on the agenda here and so in the beginning I grew mostly geraniums and primulas which I grew of my own seeds or cuttings. I always had houseplants except during the years when I was travelling a lot, then it was not practical. At some period I had a whole collection of cacti and they flowered beautifully. Now I like to vary my collection, my most recent addition are some bromeliads, small ones which I bought in Lidl. Some of the plants were gifted to me, or came as cuttings from friends and one of them even came from a long way away. Having them around me in my kitchen never ceases to give me good feelings, every time I pass they fill me with joy because of their beauty. They grow by artificial light because our house is fairly dark and this light needs to be on anyway all day. I need plenty of light myself to function! I also cultivate some orchids, peace lilies, a money plant and an Easter cactus. So here I am sharing some of my plants with you all and hope that you enjoy.
The new bromeliad plants, they are very small yetKalanchoe second floweringKalanchoeChamaedorea elegansHypoestes phyllostachya ( Polka dot plant)Pilea peperomioidSanpauli several years oldBillbergia nutansOrchidBromeliad These small bromeliad are so beautifulPelleae. rotundifoliaHypoestes phyllostachyaDieffenbachiaKalanchoeFicus treeChlorophytum
My dear readers, friends and family do you have plant collections too? I would love to hear what collections you have. I’ve enjoyed sharing mine with you.
It’s kind of beautiful to sit inside a bus and see a city from the windows. Yung Lean
The other day saw me taking the bus up to Cork city, it had been two years since something like this happened and it excited me more than a little. A bus ride always reminds me of travel and of course that is what has been missing in most of our lives and especially in mine. The unromantic reason for the journey was an hospital appointment, but I did try to look upon it as a little adventure, and yet I did not expect to feel so free and refreshed by walking through the city, it had not been my intention!
The colours on this cold by crisp January day were vivid, it pleased me very much. There have been colourful changes in Cork city, much more eat and drinking places outside, very continentalThis was the time of day when not that many people walked aroundThe river Lee and the quays never changing, always thereI came across some very contemporary architecture, that was interesting tooStriking colours and linesRiver Lee is also the homestead of the many gullsA photographic experiment with powerlines and church architectureReflections in the riverShadows
It was a journey of necessity, it turned into a pleasant and relaxing experience.
Early one morning about a week ago there had been a night frost. Everything in the garden looked sugar-coated until the first rays of the sun touched the plants. I took my chance to go out and enjoy all the beauty while shooting some pictures to share here, an enjoyable activity first thing in the day ! We have had a few small roses flowering since summer, this bush was a potted plant we received as a gift and I eventually transplanted it into the garden. It is doing very well. The young camellia bush does not seem to have large buds yet, but then it is only January. It only gave us one flower last year so I am hoping that in another few weeks we will get a nice display.
Young Camellia plant
The morning sun is already peeking through the hedge
A good supply of fresh dandelion leaves has been growing all winter, they are getting ready for our salad bowl!The hydrangea flowers never cease to give plenty of pleasure. They will soon be ready for pruning
Morning sun lighting up the background of these young foxgloves plants
Huge garlic plantsDeepfrozen three-cornered-leeksAs the sun melts the frost, the consistency of the ice changesEarly sunshine, like evening sun, has this special quality I always think and is more beautiful. And of course can look great in a photo.
Iced grass blades, and a look down the garden
Somewhere in the back of the garden I discovered this beautiful summer flower, still in full bloom and beautifully covered in crystals.
My thoughts at this time of the year turn to plans for next season’s growth, and this year I am going to revert back to what I did a few years ago – letting the wild plants do what they want to do – grow. I’ve made a list of over 38 herb and wild plants, some of which I use for food, that are growing now in our garden. And another list of a few that I need to buy at the market.
Plants already established are: Feverfew, Borage, Nettles, Mint (3 different types), Rosemary, Bay leaf, Lavender, Sage, Oregano, Thyme, Herb Robin, Dandelion, St. John’s wort, Lemon balm, Plantain, Sow-thistle, Tansy, Three-cornered-leeks, violet, comfrey, Lemon Verbena, Mallow, Rue, Cleavers, Wild Rose, Nasturtium, Willow herb, Calendula, Solidago, Shepherd’s Purse, Clover, Purple Loosestrife, Ivy, Dock, Mullein, Groundsel, and wild garlic. Quite a few of these self-seed every year, and some of course are perennials.
And those that I want to buy are: Yarrow, Fennel, Parsley and Evening primrose.
Most likely we will be seeing some of the larger purple Thistles which are good when they come into seed as they attract and feed Gold finches.
It is a time to get very excited about seeing all the wild plants and the herbs doing so well despite it being winter. I am looking forward very much to enjoying them all once spring starts, but for the moment I let them be dormant and let them enjoy their winter rest.
So how is your garden doing my dear readers? I will be most interested in reading your comments.
It is the 26th of December today and we are only moving towards the end of the year – so no I was not looking for signs of spring, it’s a little too early and as well as that I am trying to rein my energy in. Every year about the beginning of January my energy peeks and, like a run-a-way train, it is hard to hold it! So no I was not looking for signs of new growth but nevertheless I found fresh young plants growing all over the place. It was a mild and sunny day, beautiful weather for a walk. I woke up feeling full of the joys of life and found that the birds outside had similar thoughts, the sounds of the sparrows, the starlings and the crows was overpowering for some time during the hours of brightness. So here I was trying to experience the darkness of midwinter in order to get into the fullness of my energy once the new year would start and get going, but similar to what nature seems to be doing lately my internal clock seems to be a little mixed up. Hence I forced myself not to look for signs, signs of new growth, signs of an early spring.
This is such a typical view of West Cork, old trees and meadows ~ beautiful!Looking towards the hills and part of the town of Skibbereen, so nice to walk here.
I have not written or produced many blog posts during the past year, something that I have missed doing. I know that it is partly due to a changing pattern, first with the lockdowns, and then with being out of the habit. With practically staying inside the home, garden, our little town and just the very immediate surroundings. I have to use a lot of imagination to be inspired to keep writing. During the year I started researching more of the local history and joined the historical society. We explored one village recently which I found very interesting. I hope to continue with my research of local history and of reading the old maps of the area. And writing about what I find or learn.
Wishing all my friends, my family, all my dear followers here on WordPress a really wonderful 2022, filled with good health and happiness.
And thank you all for your great support for my blog.
To all my friends and followers all over the world at this time of the year, whether you celebrate Christmas or not I would like to wish you a peaceful, and joyful time, a time filled with love and the warmth of human company. As we move to brighter days, may all your wishes come true and may you be blessed.
agoyvaerts 