Musings with Hazel: Patience
With a long and mild start to the winter here in the mountains, the squirrels are still active and busy foraging for their winter stores. Which naturally got me thinking about hazelnuts – a squirrel’s dream fodder! So this musing is about this remarkable shrub: Corylus avellana. Have you ever witnessed a Hazel in bloom? […]
Musings with Larch: Alignment
I would love to share some musings here about my most favorite conifer, the magnificent Larix decidua or European Larch. I fell in love with its essential oil on one of my visits to the distillery Les Senteurs du Claut about 20 years ago. On that day, I discovered piles of its branches with their […]
Musings with Calendula: Attention
Without doubt, for me, the plant of this year has been Calendula! For the first time in 12 years of tending my mountain garden, I have a bumper amount of this remarkable solar plant that just keeps on giving – even far on into autumn!I have harvested and dried so many blooms over the summer […]
Musings with Lavender: Resiliency
Today I am thinking of Resiliency! In these changing times, most of us are having to dig deep into our resiliency reserves. As with any precious resource, we need to keep them topped up and ensure they are balanced in order not to exhaust them (and ourselves). What is in your resiliency basket? What tools […]
Musings with Mullein: Strength
I have something to share about another plant if you have the time to listen! I wanted to share about plant that is abundant on my property and one that I love, respect and listen to. Please meet Verbascum thapsus, commonly known as Mullein. She reigns like a Queen on my land and is a […]
Musings with Rhinanthus: Perspectives
Rhinanthus – friend or foe? It all depends on your perspective! Do you know this delightful plant? Yesterday morning I went on a lovely hike with the hounds – the meadows are a pure delight in early summer – here is a snap from that moment taken in a glorious and luminous sweet swathe of […]
Musings with Narcissus: Community
Here is a story that shares a little about the experiences of a wild afro-gallo-provencal who lives in the mountains of Provence and an encounter with a plant that changed her life. When I moved to Provence in 1999, you might imagine that my mind, heart and eyes may have been filled with rose-tinted expectations […]
Musings with Heartsease: Lovingkindness
Most of you know that I usually post photos that are macro or close ups of plants because I love to marvel at their intimate intricacies and their stunning symmetries. But today, here is a surprise ! – a photo taken from more of a distance! Heartsease.This brave little Heartsease happens to be growing out […]