Love

Think I'm in love!! Hawthorn is simply magical - captivating - fairy like & intriguing.  After a delicious lunch & a little reading material furthering my knowledge about the Hawthorn properties. I've collected some more blossom from our wild tree  & from the hedge. A little from a few of the branches.  I've brewed some more tea, allowing it to mast. Developing more into a rich amber tone than the vibrant green.

Elixir Two: Happy Heart

Celebrating my herbal ally, HAWTHORN. Today we had a couple of hours  free from customers & work. I decided to grab the camera & head off into the garden to attune with the happy Hawthorn who is blossoming beautifully. I also decided to collect some of the new gorgeous little clusters of blossom to make me & dear hubby a tea tonic :)  The leaves are also so vibrant & lush with the most nourishing  pulsating life force permeating throughout each & every one. We have a manicured Hawthorn hedge & a rather more wild naturally growing  Hawthorn tree. I wonder if there is a difference between each, as the flowers & scent of both are different. Perhaps both male & female blossom. I find the matrix of the  Hawthorns branches so comforting, so stabilising, like the network or arteries & veins.vessels carrying oxygen to support life. A wonderful circulatory system. Controlling & conducting the awesome growth of such a beautiful tree.
After capturing some beautiful images of its growth & changing appearance I returned to the kitchen, washed the clusters of blossom I'd collected preparing them for infusion.  Boiling the kettle ready to make some Hawthorn char :) I rinsed my new glass tea pot ready for its fresh Hawthorn tea.
The scent was surprisingly off putting, not at all as pleasant as I'd imagined. The colour of the tea developed into a bright light transparent green. It was brewed for around 10 minutes. Keeping up with old English traditions I thought the tea would be best served in a most eloquent style. Delivered in dainty bone china cups on saucers, an inherited family heirloom - the tea set was many decades ago a wedding present for my Grandmother!!  I in sited my hubby should try our garden wonders. I am delighted he drank two cups, considering he thought the smell was vile & like an old pub urinals!!!  I refrained from smelling mine :) The taste was quite pleasant & refreshing. Hope you enjoy the photographs :)

 Gently & with great respect a few clusters of blossom were picked from the tree, brought into our home to be made into a healing heart tonic for me & hubby.

Marvellous May

Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom

April seemed to come & go, a month bringing a great deal of change, challenges & chaos. Life's lessons a reminder of all values to be discovered in the array of experiences we share. Just like Spring, the unfurling of newness, the vibrant energy stored awaiting to burst from containment. There is always such significance & values to be discovered in the way Nature nurtures, protects then blossoms. Often out of sight, alone in darkness & isolation the growth takes precedence.   Such formations & preparation to enable all yet to come. The seed, the buds, the blossom & ultimately the fruits. Yet much of the beginnings can't be seen,  yet we know all is still  silently working incessantly. The plants genetic  inheritance, its inherent trust & knowledge to be steadfast & true. Its enduring stamina to grow, mature, germinate & ripen. We too could learn such valuable qualities from Nature, the trust, the stamina, the faith during such darkness, such isolation, challenges & doubt. Just because we can't see the end result doesn't mean we are not already in such a significant process. Trust & faith are such great companions, the rain nourishes the seeds growth, the soil keeps its safe .. trust & faith are pretty much our fertile grounds from which we safely can grow & blossom.
I am unsure why Nature has always been my ally, as a child i could draw reasoning & logical conclusions about life, death, cycles & change simply from observing the seasons & their gifts. There was always something so comforting about day & night, the lunar cycle, the dark of the moon its phases & fullness. Same with our apple trees, the roses & the hedges. All attuned to their own unique journey yet an integral part of the whole. The bees & butterflies, the birds & the worms. all together maintained a harmony I could indulge within & become so peaceful & content as all as one we shared the same pulse of life.
May has blossomed & already the first week has passed. Its bank Holiday, work has ceased just for today so armed with my faithful companion I ventured into the garden just to acquaint myself once again with my Ally & all other beautiful partners in bud. The Hawthorn ally is stunning, so vibrant in colour & energy. The anticipation for its flowering to commence is a tonic in itself. The strength & steadfastness of the enduring buds in such strong cold winds. Yet still they intend to open their petals, face the breeze & smile, their beautiful faces leaning up the skies ready for the sun to warm their Souls'. The forever enduring heart, so full of unwavering unconditional love. How I adore the hawthorn, how it inspires & strengthens. On route to the bottom of the garden its hard not to smile at the cheery faces of the dandelions, the daisies & blue bells. The dandelions make me laugh & the daisies remind me of my once tiny  fingers making chains & chains of graceful, beautiful necklaces & bracelets, In awe at their loveliness. At Christmas time we were treated to a bottle of fizzy pop, Dandelion & Burdock used to be my favourite. I would try to imagine how the dandelions & burdock were made into such a distinctive tasting drink, who ever had decided to try to eat one so they could know to make it into a drink & of what benefits could plants & flowers be to us. So many thoughts & questions would fill my tiny mind. Now, the same queries & curiosities still fill me with awe & wonderment.
To, in time, be able to discover such answers & meanings from our garden companions will be one of my greatest achievements.

Here are some of our May day garden celebrations, in bloom & beauty, radiance & resilience.

Apple Blossom

Apple Blossom

Don't these sunny happy darlings just make you smile

This beautiful specimen is still opening, amazingly intricate  :)

Wonder if children today still make daisy chain necklaces,  bracelets & rings! Oh the simple joys.

There are so many wee beauties I need to discover, their names, their uses as food & medicinal purposes.
Here are some familiar & some of the unidentified May garden gifts.

Any identification is greatly appreciated :) Lastly, it truly wouldn't be May without a piccie of the glorious bluebells.

Beautiful bluebells :)