a flowering camellia in my garden at the moment ~Jean May~... I bought this because these are my daughters middle names.. I have Louisa May & Sophie Jean.. it blooms for about 6 weeks continuously.. I love how the pink petals cover my path during winter..
the past few days, I have been dreadfully sick with a cold/flu type thing.. it is most probably self inflicted because on the weekend, we went away on the bike.. and I became the dancing queen once again.. indulging in copious amounts of red wine & champagne.. then proceeded to walk in the cold night air, back to where we were staying, without a jacket.. but it was fun.. I don't indulge in alcohol very often but when I do, it seems to affect me quite quickly - the copious amounts were most probably only 3 glasses.. when I got home after the weekend away, I just knew that I was coming down with something.. I treated myself with tisanes of sage & lemon, made some thyme tea and then remembered my celtic wine (non alcoholic) and I sipped some of that.. it seems to have done the trick, as this morning I woke feeling a little better.. so much so that i decided to spend the warm hours of the day in my garden...

(not sure if you can see that purple in the top left hand corner.. have no idea what that is... it is not something hanging in the tree..stranger things have appeared in my garden..)
we have had alot of rain the past month or so.. and wind. As well as snow not far from Inglewood... my garden is in need of lots of work, work that is usually done in autumn... I cleaned out my pond, wintered the pond plants in a basket of water & raked leaves.

I stirred the comfrey tea and watered the brassicas with it. it looks like all my efforts of making the magick net tent, have paid off. The white cabbage moth hasn't attacked them at all and now it is too cold so I will be rewarded for all my hard work with delicious broccoli..

The broccoli is doing really well and has started to form small heads that are hidden among the leaves
the brussel sprouts are slow in forming but the tiny buds are there, so with some winter sunshine, I am sure they will develop. I love brussel sprouts... and even better that I grew some myself.

I weeded, mulched & generally tidied up... I chatted to Daisy as I went about my work.. remembering how i loved to read about her garden.. and thinking of her pots that she had in her courtyard.. it is coming up to the anniversary of her death next week.. I can't believe that it is 2 yrs ago already..

(there is that purple thing again.. ahh well.. maybe it is a reflection..I know my lens was clean)
my girls are looking a little better these day.. the past few weeks, they have been moulting and have now developed their winter feathers.. I will give them some porridge with molasses tomorrow morning for breakfast.. that will warm the cockles of their heart! I love my girls..

I picked up fallen tamarillos and fed them to the chooks & I cleaned up around my apple trees.. it was good to be in the sun but by about 1pm I could feel the cold air in my lungs again so I came inside.. just that short time spent in the garden does wonders for my soul and my body.. I am sure it is like an energy exchange even though I am not concsious of it. So you see, as I heal the Earth, I am healed as well...