“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” Ralph Waldo Emerson During the last few days I visited one of my dear friends, it had been too long since we caught up with each other, and it has been very necessary and a great joy and pleasure to make […]
CHERISHING THE MOMENT
I just finished reading Michael McCarthy’s book “The Moth Snowstorm” in which he describes and talks about the decline in biodiversity of birds, moths, butterflies, and other creatures worldwide but especially in his own Britain. He gives examples of his own experiences and that of other nature lovers, where they have witnessed this decline. His emphasis, though, is on the intense […]
A SENSE OF WONDER – INTENSE JOY IN NATURE
The scairbhin (scaroveen) has almost come to an end. For the past few days there was an icy east wind, quite blustery, a little crazy, it blew over the land. Locally this wind is known to arrive between mid-April and mid-May. Also around here it is known as the “rough weather of the cuckoo”, as happens around the time that the cuckoo arrives, it is also the final bit of cold before the summer. But the days are getting warmer all the same. Yes this moment in time is just perfect, I look out at the trees, moving in the wind, and their young leaves a vibrant green, and I sometimes wish I could stop time. Early spring in nature is awesome!
The sodden feeling underfoot in the garden is gone and so it is time to take the growing season more serious, whipping out detailed plans and giving them an overview, while being on the ground so to say. Taking in what is happening, and bearing in mind that my garden more of less dictates what goes on in there, I adjust my ground plan. My garden is mostly filled with wild plants and herbs, and also some quite residential shrubs which supply good and strong colour. New for this season, is that a little plant, which I have been pulling up year after year, I’m now going to allow it to grow, it is the herb Robert, it usually thrives well, I love its scent when I crush a leave or disturb it in any way. Beautiful, it grows in an interesting way, the fine red stems and light green leaves radiate from the centre, the little pink flowers delicate.
At the moment the three cornered leeks have rather taken over the borders, beautiful nodding white flowers streaked with fine green lines, I also love their delicate garlic taste. Buttercups have started to bloom, they are some of my favourite flowers. Daisies, white with a flourish of pink are also willing partakers of my garden, as are dandelions, all these are so important for our pollinators especially early in spring. From year to year evening primrose, mullein and the different willow herbs have become well established. Besides all this the usual herbs are enjoying regrowth and looking robust already.
What used to be a lawn is now just tufts of grass, part of it marked for winter vegetables like leeks, celery and kale. And I set up the small tunnel today, I’m going to try my hand at growing some tomatoes this year, my sister Eveline is very good at growing big bright red and deliciously tasting tomatoes year after year, and she is giving me advice. It is nice to try something new. So I bought some tomato plants at the market earlier
In the next few days attention will go to getting the new large planter ready for my summer greens and small herbs like thyme and chives.
Thankfully the garden is already alive with bumblebees, so nice to see the pollinators.
My garden is an adventure, an experiment, a place of observance, a real joy, where I find solace in this chaotic world. It is a place where I feel good, relaxing on the bench under the hawthorn tree, cup of tea in hand, listening to the birds singing, or just soaking up the sunshine.
February has started and thoughts move in the direction of what we’ll be creating in our gardens. Planning new projects, and welcoming new growth is the order of the day. Already there is lots happening out there, even while most of our garden is fairly water logged, and it requires a good pair of wellingtons to navigate towards the elderberry bush and the back gate. Even then, it is great to see new growth and even the odd wild flower, or the beautiful colours of the croccusses.
Daffodils, and a young self-seeded mullein plant.
And an atmospheric view of an early spring sunset. According to some folks, spring starts on the first of February here in Ireland, but I’m never sure. I can see things happening though, which definitely point to an awakening in nature, so if not on the first of February, then spring cannot be far off and the evenings are getting brighter too.
Every year I purchase a few more bulbs, the last few years it has been a variety of old fashioned gladioli, I love them. But because of the heavy soil and the heavy winter rains I have to dig the bulbs up and store them. I grow lilies in containers for similar reasons, as well as alliums and agapanthus. By now I’ve got a tidy collection of container plants.
Tulips, grape hyacints, croccusses, and many other bulbs also seem to grow best in containers here.
Seeds are germinating inside, this year I’m trying out asters. I picked an aster resembling a spider chrysanthemum, the flowers look lovely on the packet. We will see.
A glimpse into our putting shed, not quite sorted or decluttered. I was looking at a new wheel barrow recently but they cost around €150! I think the old rusty one will get a clean up instead.
All things to enjoy or look forward to.
Yes, Jack Frost has been paying West Cork, as well as the rest of Ireland, and I believe other parts of Europe too, a nightly visit. That in the middle of it I ran out of heating oil through my own lack of attention is beside the point. I was able to solve the problem very quickly thanks to a loyal plumber and heating oil providers. This did not take awake from the beauty which greats me while attending to some domestic chores like emptying the kitchen waste into the compost bin at the end of the garden. I could not resist taking some photos at least. Meanwhile a little robin has been coming closer all winter and even sang to me the other day, how totally lovely.
And what I would really like to do this year is to make my garden into a lovely space, that is nurturing to the soul, a space where my family, friends and myself can rest and find quiet and peaceful admiration for nature. And a space for wildlife, where bees and other pollinators enjoy all the flowers and find nectar. Where birds can build their nests and sing their hearts out, for a mate when the time comes. I’ve had up to five goldfinch everyday feeding on the seedheads of the Evening Primrose, such a wonder. The usual bird population is fine this winter, I’m taking part on the survey again. The chaffinches are definitely down, the sparrow count is up. There is only one dunnock whereas there have been two for years. The wren is our resident bird, as are two blackbirds, a couple. Everyday there is now a Pied Wagtail feeding in the front garden, a first for our garden. Of course the robin is always there, but some years there are two, so far there is only one, I read that the males come feeding earlier than the females so I hope that the female is still on the way. It is nice when a robin comes up to you and it feels like they are really trying to communicate with you, and when they then start to sing so close, that is wonderful!
I wish you all a peaceful, joyful, healthy and happy 2026, enjoy!
Wishing everyone a beatiful Christmas time.
Wishes of Peace and love to all.
We are ending the month of November and with routine changes and many things to attend to recently I’m only now starting to slow down and to dwell on what I’m at and what I would like to focus on in the next few winter months. I love winter.
Right now I like how there is such attention on gratefulness by so many people, so many friends. When looking at the small gifts we receive everyday, it’s easy to feel gratitude.
Well, my garden is full of seedheads attracting goldfinches. And new life is to be seen in primroses starting to flower.
The sun is out today and there is ony a little breeze. The garden has not yet died down so far, our really cold weather only arrives in January and usually last untill April. Our daffodils are already showing their head above soil. I could do work out there but I’m inclined to leave the seedheads for the birds, and as well as that the soil, the grass, everything is sodden, the rains having taken care of that. So I will leave the outside work for now, and I will make my adventkrans instead.
Wishing everyone an enjoyable Thanksgiving day
Hi everyone, it has been a while since I contributed news from life in West Cork. So here I am again. My last gladioli flower from the garden has a stunning colour. I love these old fashion flowers.
I don’t think that I have ever seen trees so heavely laden with bright red apples, almost too beautiful to eat! But not only apples, pears, plums, and other fruit and nuts are having an abundant harvest, whole hedgerows are flaming red with hawthorn berries. I saw our own hawthorn tree filled with fat sparrows the other day, over 20 birds chirping away, did they feast on our haws? I wonder.
Autumn is advancing. Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival is almost upon us. It celebrates the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter time. Pumpkins are all over the shops and my grandkids are talking about what they will dress up in. It’s celebrated here as Halloween, a commercialised version of Samhain ( I don’t like much).
Autumn is usually a time of slowing down, but not necessarily so, not until winter is properly upon us. There are exhibitions to go see, and musea to visit, and coffee gatherings with friends to enjoy, and so on. Some weeks ago I started a six week course online with the Transnational Institute, it is called “Cities beyond growth” focussing on post growth urbanism, it is very interesting, The first week we looked democracy and care, second week we looked at energy sustainability, how can living spaces be made more liveable in an efficient way , and we discuss housing this week. It is global, it draws information from scholars, writers, thinkers and idealists. Also interesting to hear what other students from all over the world have to say, and their experiences in their environments. The course is given via Podcasts, readings, video’s, lots to take in. The questions prompt us to think deeper about what it is to work toward a more sustainable future in every way, and to hear about what is, or is not working all over the globe. What this course is doing for me is very welcome, it is restoring hope and faith in a world that has been so shaken in recent years. Yes, It is doing that for me.
Other activies, like knitting socks for my beloved husband, and ofcourse my bobbin lace. Aswell as a recent webinar on the silk roads, which was brilliant.
Two more sights of beautiful Schull, can you believe that the fuchsia hedge is still in flower right now.
I am taking a nice rest this afternoon, because for the moment all my seedlings and young plants are looked after and doing their own thing, growing mainly and getting strong, oh and defending themselves against the onslaught of slugs. I’m sitting in the livingroom but the door to the garden is wide open. Seagulls are flying over making an awful racket, and the rooks are not far off either, I often see them interact with each other, flying after each other. They are having the time of their lives!
The most exercise I’ve done today is walking around my smallish garden and picking a bunch of wild flowers. There is a great tit in the trees, it has this certain call lately, it makes me think that I’m in a large forest, it’s wonderful!
Our trees are very lush now , their best colour of all the seasons is now, the leaves, those of the oak tree only unfolding, are so fresh. One branch of the chestnut tree is very elegantly overhanging part of the vegetable plot.
The month of May is not far off. Soon the swifts will arrive over our house and gardens, when I hear them, for me it is summer no matter the weather.
Right now, in nature, it is the best time of the year!
agoyvaerts 