Ballyedmond Castle gardens

Looking north into the Mourne Mountains shrouded in cloud

Just before May Day, we were able to visit these gardens.  They are private gardens and are only open to the public about half a dozen times per year.  Even then one probably only finds out about opening via membership of a gardening club, or as in my case, through a local wildlife group member who is also an RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) member.  Many thanks Lee!  Only 30 people can visit at any one time and no photographs are allowed to be taken of the house (castle).

The castle is situated on the north shore of Carlingford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland.

I will add a link at the end of this post if you are interested in the house and gardens, as they have a varied history.

Their own temple, where even the Gods can’t get a signal.

Their own harbour and possibly a heli-pad

Their own bandstand

Entrance to the Orangery where we had afternoon tea

“Hurry up, chaps!  Tea is served”

“Hoping you have had a pleasant visit”

By the way, it rained almost all of the time we were there!  Typical, as the following day the sun shone!  Au Contraire!

Ashley

https://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.com/2012/11/ballyedmond-castle.html

Beltain 2024

Beltain,
Welcome to summer;
Rain!

After weeks of grey skies and rain, we’re now seeing a change in the weather.  Of course, change is never straightforward and whilst warmer days are on their way, there are sure to be some surprises!  On the last day of April, it rained constantly, and today the first day of May, the sun is shining!

In the ancient agricultural calendar, Beltain, or the Festival of Fertility, is usually celebrated at the end of April and the beginning of May and marked as the beginning of summer.  It is a time to celebrate the power of the life force; everything is growing and showing!  The energy of unions, whether spiritual or physical is alive!  The picture of the hawthorn tree, Crataegus monogyna, is relevant to this festival as it brings the spirit of wild places into our lives.  The haunt of fairies makes it a magical tree!

The hawthorn is tolerant of strong winds, dry and wet conditions.  A small , thorny deciduous tree with small white fragrant flowers; hermaphrodite (both male and female) reinforcing the association with balance and unions.  It is also known as the Maythorn or May Tree.  Its wood is tough and fine grained sometimes used as a veneer.

 Midges,
Dancing above the May tree;
Summer.
 

I’m a bit late with this post as I was out all day yesterday on a garden visit.  More of that soon!  That is as long as my photos have come out; it was a very overcast day!

Happy May Day.

Ashley

Thank you, Mike

Blogs I Like (and You Might, Too)–4/16/2024

A dull, wet day…

First blossoms;
Flowers before leaves,
Blackthorn.

The Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) that grows through the hedge in my garden is flowering and on this dull wet day, the flowers shine brightly.  It’s only a few days since the Spring Equinox!

Blackthorn is the fourteenth tree in the Celtic Tree Ogham, STRAIPH.  It is symbolised in the balance between light and dark.  Physically, the tree is challenging as it grows into an impenetrable thicket.  Its thorns being very sharp, the tree is a safe haven for nesting birds.

 

Ashley

Spring Equinox 2024

Plish, plash,
The bird bath overflows;
Spring rain.

Spring rain,
Waters the earth;
Buds open.

Buds open,
Bright, in the dull day;
The spring equinox.

Yes!  At last the Spring Equinox has arrived, the time when day and night are of equal length.  So for a few months, from now until the Summer Solstice in June, the light of day will increase.

In the Pagan tradition the day is known as the Festival of Balance; inner and outer, the unconscious and the conscious worlds are in balance.  What goes on in our minds is reflected in our actions, so we should try to understand this perspective and use it to bring healing between ourselves and the outer world.

~~~~~

It is a year since I began writing about and making a set of Celtic Tree Ogham sticks to sit alongside the eight festivals of the Wheel of the Year.  For now, the last two trees that I shall write about, associated with the Spring Equinox, are Alder and Ash.

Alder: Alnus glutinosa.  Alder is the third tree in the Celtic Tree Ogham: FEARN. F.  The Alder loves to be by rivers and streams where its roots come into contact with water.  Its roots are able to fix nitrogen from the air and the wood is very durable when constantly wet.  It has been used in building bridges and the piles in medieval cathedrals.

Ash: Fraxinus excelsior.  Ash is the fifth tree in the Celtic Tree Ogham: NION. N.  Known in Norse mythology as Yggdrasil, the Tree of the World, which links all the levels of existence.  With its straight growth and grain, Ash makes good walking sticks and staffs.  It also makes beautifully straight arrows for traditional archery and whilst Yew (Taxus baccata) is considered the supreme wood for longbows, Ash will make a very serviceable longbow.

Here is a photo of all the Ogham sticks I’ve made over the year.  You will be able to see where there are gaps in my set.  Left to right, the first ten are all there but there are five missing from the next set of ten.  I am reliant on friends and colleagues to keep me posted when suitable wood becomes available and I will never just cut into a tree without first asking permission and especially asking the tree for its blessing. 

To finish this longer than usual post on a light-hearted note, I’m sure you will have guessed my favourite tree.  Ash, of course!  In Old English a ley was a meadow or grassland.  Put the two together and I am a meadow with ash trees! 😉😂

Enjoy the Spring Equinox, this celebration of balance and awakening.

Ashley

I’m honoured

Superior Haiku by Ashley

Occasional Furniture (1)

 

His Book Shelves

I climb the stairs
tip toe down the passage
into the silence of my father's music room.

The black upright Bechstein
stands rigid and dumb
as my eyes scan the titles,

so many,
but one reaches out
and catches my eye.

How strange, alien,
not of this world,
written by a god, no less.

Kon-Tiki.

 

Artwork & poem by Ashley    March 2024

First garden flowers in February

Steady, soft rain has persisted for most of the day, and whilst the sky is overcast and grey, the increased light of this month enters my eyes to bathe and lift my spirits.

A dull day;
Rain doused, first flowers,
Open.

Ashley

1st February

Halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox in the Pagan calendar, is Imbolc.  In the Christian calendar this time is known as Candlemas or if you live in Ireland St. Brigid’s Day.  Whichever way we think of this period, we are surely celebrating the return of the light and as the light increases, so the earth begins to warm and plants begin to grow. 

The snowdrops that appeared around the time of the winter solstice are still here in my garden.  I have to turn their delicate drooping heads to see the beauty inside.

I’ve added another two letters to my Ogham Tree alphabet: L and S.

Rowan: Sorbus aucuparia.  It is the second tree of the Celtic Tree Ogham: LUIS. L and is associated with connections between the inner and outer worlds.

Willow: Salix alba.  The willow is the fourth tree of the Celtic Tree Ogham: SAILLE. S and is associated with healing imbalances.

Let’s celebrate what the ancients believed was the opening of the door to Spring.

Ashley 

A new year’s day

Photo & hokku by Ashley