Dear Readers,
It has been a little while since I last sat down to focus on the blog and I must start by apologising for being scarce!
We are now into June 2021 and the year, even in isolation / lockdown has been very ‘busy’ for me. I have been doing a juggling act of study, working on making business progress, and had hardly noticed, even, that the weather here had been very wet for ages!
In the last few days I HAVE noticed that the sky has been blue, the sun out, and suddenly all the leaves on the trees around our home and in our garden have popped open and filled out. This is Summer and so much feels warmer and lighter as the familiar sights of growth surround us in Nature. I love seeing the life.
A couple of days ago, I took my lunch down to the ‘secret garden’ to sit with the apple meadow and simply absorb the sounds, the sights, the warmth of the sun on my skin. Vitamin D is so key to our good health and I’m conscious that we need to spend time outdoors, soaking it in.
When I say that I sat with the meadow, that is because I sat beside rather than in it. Our apple meadow is one of four mini meadows in our biodiverse, organic garden. Unfortunately nettles have taken hold of part of it, so one has to proceed with caution and we really do need to get weeding, especially now that they are tall and easy to see above the long grass.
While I was sitting there, enjoying a delicious “Ploughman’s Lunch” that my son had put together for us, I listened to the bugs, birds, and occasional native or bumble bee. There have been a few honey bees about, but I’ve noticed that they do not seem to have much vigour or they appear to be struggling in some way.
Those who know me well or have been following my blog and other writing for a while, will know about my awareness of and concern for the plight of the humble bee, worldwide.
When we were in Australia (1992 – 2006), I had a business for four years before adventures began (2006) in the UK. This business, The Holly Tree, was focused on honey, herb and beehive products, everything organic / natural / sustainable, and I was doing what I could to alert people to the need to care for our bees. The situation continues. Fortunately more people now understand this and more is being done, but we cannot afford to be complacent.
Take a look at these two posts I created on Instagram, for a sense of what I am talking about:
The video of the bee is on my Youtube channel as well.
As Spring turns into Summer where we live, and everything turns lively and green, I am also mindful of the other side of the beauty of the countryside and of being out in Nature …
People are using toxic sprays to control ‘weeds’ (plants in the wrong place) and to tidy gardens as well as farms and parks.
I want to take this ‘catching up’ opportunity to urge those who do use chemicals to, please, consider the impact not only on the environment, but on your and our health. There are many natural alternatives to management of our spaces AND healthy ways to grow our food, sustainably and well.
Perhaps in another blogpost I might share a few suggestions. Make sure to follow the blog for this and more!
I hope that, wherever you are, you are managing these strange times in healthy and forward thinking ways and that you are keeping well.
With love until next time,
Holly x
The Holly Tree Tales 