May and the Secret Scent Of Angel Flight

I went a 'Maying' to bring inside

 A favourite flower, yet could not decide,

on meadow jewels or hedgerow lace,

Buttercup, sweet golden face,

Bluebell charmed me beneath soft dappled light,

Apple blossom shared the secret scent of angel flight,

All are heavenly treasures, gifts from the Fae

 In the merry merry month of May

    ~ Karen  Davis  May 2018

Feeling very much filled with the joys of Spring on the 1st of  May I  painted this teeny tiny painting. 

The month has been glorious so far and the apple blossom, like something from a fairy tale this year. To just sit and 'be' beneath these boughs is truly a divine gift from above. I know I probably sound a little like Anne Shirley from Green Gables but honestly seriously think that people that are unwell or feeling sad should be prescribed by their doctors to sit beneath blossom. Especially apple blossom. The scent is heavenly and if angels do have secret scents of flight, (I like to imagine that they would) then I'm sure at least one of them would be the scent of the humble apple. Apples themselves are known to have healing properties so there is definite truth to the old saying 'An apple a day keeps the Doctor away' So why not the scent too?

There is a little blossom left, but most is going over now. Hopefully the bees have done their job and we will have a good harvest of fruit later on in the year. That's not the end of the decorated trees in the garden though as the hawthorn is about to burst into bloom. Today it is in tight bud so by tomorrow or the next day, with a good sprinkling of sunshine it will be the star of the garden.

The flowers of the season are definitely being reflected in my work. This little painting was done for fun back on St Georges day (April 23rd)

Whilst sitting on the back door step listening to the blackbird song I noticed this beautiful hawk moth. With the help of Mr Google found out it's an Angles Shades ( Phlogophora meticulousa)

It rested here all day, luckily too close to the house to be under any threat from the birds.

Today there was another one on the watering can. It could of course be the same one still flying about, but looked smaller and darker so think it's a different one? I encouraged him on to my hand where he sat for a while, his wings quivering ready for take off.  Then he flew off towards the shade of the hedge.  So pleased to see moths about.

It was not so pleasing to see that Mr and Mrs Blackbird had abandoned their nest after the last cold spell in April. After noticing it very close to the house, each time walking past could see that no bird was sitting on the eggs. Sadly they were left and then were eaten by something?

But 'hurrah' am now happy to report that they have since got a new nest close by to where the initial one was and are currently feeding chicks! (dear little tweeting sounds are coming from further back  in the hedge)  

And here is proud Daddy stopping by on the bird feeder for snacks.   

Lawn update...
In my last post I shared the primroses taking over the lawn and mentioned that we had decided to let a large area of lawn go wild throughout the summer for the pollinating insects.  So here are a few pictures of what it's looking like and plants that have appeared.
 Forgetmenot, dandelion, cow parsley, dead nettle.

Cowslips in the background, planted two of those, years back and they have seeded beneath the apple trees. Forgot to mention that last time. 

These little mounds of earth on the lawn could be some type of mining bee?  If you know what causes them please comment and let me know. They are different than worm casts.

Sweet simple daisies. 

Bugle and ground ivy

There is also plantain, hawkweed and clover coming up in other areas. The cow parsley in the picture below has been allowed to establish over the last few years. It's one of my favourite spring flowers and I married in May (many years ago) for the specific reason that they could appear at my wedding. :-)

We've mown paths through as you can see which makes it easier to get around the garden when the grass is wet and ties in nicely with the top area which is still mown short around the flower beds. 

That's all for now...

Wishing you the sweet magic of May.

Karen

 x 

December Trees and Woodland Decorations

December beauty, away from the tinsel and lights and Christmas tunes that play on a loop in the shops. The apple trees have their own tinsel all year round, silvery bleached greens of lichen, emerald green moss and boozy fermented crab apples that have stayed firm and clung on in the wind. 

I have grown attached to these trees and others in the garden. I have known them now for 18 years. They are friends and I speak to them and tell them they are looking beautiful as the seasons change. I have watched them grow. Some are old and some not so, (the Hazel we grew from a nut) My children have played beneath them, had picnics, camped and climbed the bigger ones and they have grown up with them.  Now they are young adults and the trees are still here watching quietly when they return home, growing their apples, nuts and berries. The wood pigeons have their favourite perch and the blackbird and robin use all. The thrush likes to use the top branches of the cherry tree to sing his evensong. I have told my woody friends about other trees I've met on my travels, about the small twisted oaks in Wistmans Wood with the lichen as long as faerie hair and I'm sure they seemed to have grown their lichen more abundantly since the tale was told?

When I was a child running and playing in woods and jumping streams, we used the language of the field. Our maps were plotted out using the trees, the big beech on the edge of the wood, that my Mum had carved her initials in when she was a child, the huge elm we made a swing on. We knew which nut tree gave the best harvest, whether they were small clusters, fivers, or large cobs, We knew where the walnut tree was and the cherry trees and where the best apples were to scrump and our meeting place was the lightening tree, an old dead tree, bleached like a bone, that had been struck by lightning years before. And a holly tree always held a certain magic to me, a feeling I could never really explain? Now  I am lucky to have three of them in this garden.

December is the only time of year when we bring a tree 'intact' inside our home, to decorate and hang beautiful things on in celebration. It's also the time when trees are revealed again. Their silhouettes return us to the winter landscape once more and their real beauty is uncovered. Winter light and shadows on sleeping trees and icy bare branches. One of my loves of Winter. Everything is framed so perfectly.

Although I love the frost and cold. I'm hoping this year for milder days. Robin Goodfellow my dear feathered friend, I think has mites? He is scratching and losing his feathers which of course is not a good thing to do at this time of year. It is either that or fighting, as I've seen him chasing another Robin off.  Constant replenishing of food will help to keep him warm. I can't help but worry though. He needs a scarf like you see the Robins on Christmas cards wearing... Sadly he doesn't look the picture perfect 'Robin on the card' this year but that's life, I still love him dearly however he looks.  

Inside the house, I have brought the woodland in. Toadstools, birds, fox , squirrel and deer decorate the room.  

Now if only Robin would come in and keep warm like this other one. 

I don't normally have flowers with the Christmas decorations, but it was my Birthday the other day, hence the ones on the table.  :)

The little fir tree sits twinkling in the corner. Just the mistletoe to get now. ..

The Alchemy of Autumn

 I sit on the stone ledge by the front door. A place I often sit in all seasons. The place to take my cup of tea or coffee and look at the garden. It is the afternoon and I have come outside to take a break and feel the last warmth of the early Autumn sun. Sunlight catches a cobweb, it's almost invisible thread stretches  from the rusted doorbell to the valerian plant below. A home connected to a home. 

A dragonfly darts about the garden, a shining fairy in disguise and the ivy flowers on the old shed are singing with a choir of honeybees. Sharing this feast are red admirals. Six of them. The red and white on their wings contrast against the bluest of sky, jewels of the garden, small treasures from heaven.

The Alchemy of Autumn has begun. It is visible of course all around us, but it is also a feeling felt in the stillness, the slowing down and in the bird song. A sensing of different energy and magic in the air, which to me is felt most strongly from now through to Winter.
The Autumn Equinox has passed and now the days begin to get shorter. It's time to get and do, what I call the the 'cosy things' or the hip or trendy term now seems to be 'hygge'  ;-)  Cosy socks, woolly tights, spiced tea, hot chocolate and soup. Time to light the fire inside or out, dig your hat and scarf out of the cupboard for long walks to look for mushrooms and toadstools. Time to light more candles now the evenings are darker and retrieve that half finished crochet that you begun last year. 

It's a time to gather and harvest and brew potions and wine, jams and jellies.  

 Have your ingredients ready, in this case blackberries. The other items are to help the spell. A magic wand comes in very handy if you are not so good at making Jam. Mine is made by a very talented young friend of mine and it's relatively new, so I wanted to test it and check it worked. ;-) (You can see more of her beautiful wands here)

Say the magic words and wave the wand.

Then.....'ta- dah'!  Blackberry Jam! ;-)

All there is to do now, is make a pretty label and pop it in your cupboard. 

                                                                               ~***~

'Alchemist: A person who transforms or creates something through a seemingly magical process'

On my desk a little Alchemy has been taking place.

Tiny paintings, treasures of Nature. I have used real gold to symbolise treasure and show that their importance is of equal value in the grand scheme of life. After all gold is 'nature's' treasure too, but we put so much more value on it than a flower or an animal and even water. (which I find scary sometimes)

                                                                'Between the Space of Golden Light

'Midnight's Treasure'

'Metamorphosis'

'I see the Golden Light that Surrounds You'

'In the Beginning' #2

'In the Beginning'#1

'Born of Gold'

"Here is all of life, all into one
 In moments such as this, all that lives and breathes under the sun is part of Heaven's kiss"

~ Crimson Skies. The Cinematic Orchestra

More gold on this Hare, this time not the real kind though, just paint. 

'Summer Gold'

'Night and her Magic'

'Night's Treasures'

'Hills of Home'

'Tor and Thorn'

'Tamarisk and Sea Holly'

'Sea Holly'

'Sea Holly Small'

'Magnificent Bee' (Pendants  #1 and #2)

After rather a lot of fiddly small painting I am having an urge to paint something bigger now. :-)

All of the above items will be added to my Etsy shop next Tuesday 27th September at 19.00 (7pm) UK time. 

Enjoy your weekend and fingers crossed the sun stays out for walks and gardening and whatever you are up to. 

Thanks for reading! x