around my garden

seems Spring is shy here in Woodford, not wanting to poke her head out just yet. We are back to cold temperatures.. out come the woollies for a little longer. a wander through my garden over the past few days. . .

the manchurian pear has finally decided that she is going to the Spring ball and the faeries have dressed her in a gorgeous spring green dress, that is decorated with tiny white blossoms scattered here and there. Spring green seems to be very popular at this time of year, many plants are wearing it to the ball.
Magnolia in full bloom, tempting the honey eaters away from the spring-time flings! My iris making it look a little like a Van Gogh painting...

Lady Lavender doing her best to out do any other plant in the garden, potatoes poking their heads up from the straw.

I use lucerne to mulch my garden and have just started to use hay bales on the paths between my vegie rows, so that when I need to walk on the path, it spreads the load of my weight, therefore, not compacting the soil down, allowing the soil to live and the worms to do their work. The hay looks wonderful, although I do worry about snakes taking refuge beneath the bales as the weather warms up. Tiger snakes have been known to do this in gardens nearby. Guess I will have to ask the faeries to help keep them away.

above is my medieval garden, as I call it.. time stands still for me here.

I love this part of my garden and as I am working in it, time stands still. I could be in the 16th century or even earlier. Wales or Cornwall? A different age, a different world. it really does stir something in my memory soul. I am sure I was a village wise woman, back then. I just know stuff.

“in my garden grew plenty of thyme
it would flourish by night and day
o’er the wall came a lad
and he took all I had
and he stole my thyme away”

the old word used for the knowledge of the secret properties of herbs is ‘wortcunning’ and this has always been a particular study for witches. Witches use the knowledge of both the medicinal and magickal properties of herbs in their crafts
the village witch was an herbalist, spell-caster, interpreter of dreams, healer, midwife and psychologist. In times where there were no or very few skilled doctors, she was the people’s only resource against injury and disease

I had fun watching Mr & Mrs Magpie going for the afternoon stroll, it is like he is the doting husband, showing her where the best worms are... looking after her as she is nearing the birth of their new family...

and if you enlarge the photo above, you will see my very first strawberry of the season. Joe made me the covering to keep birds and possums away

oh and the winner of the faery gift-a-away: I have a basic, easy way to pick a winner. I have some old bingo numbers and I put them into a hat, pull one out and that number corresponds with the order of comments. So this time it is commenter number 5 - JulieMarie ! The parcel will be given to my little faery bird friends and will be on its way early next week! I hate that only one can win but I like to have little gift-aways often, so there is always another chance!

*~* I hope your day is filled with butterflies, magick, colour & fripperies! ~*~