Hello Everyone.....
*Lots of pics!
Just want to post some pics since I've been working a bit on this property/land in accordance to guidance from the Land Spirits......to help heal this place and return it to a potentiality for the Green Enchanted. I spoke a bit in previous posts that I finally figured out what is going on with this land, and how I felt with it, and basically this land has been awfully injured, forced into a type of man-made girdle of production, (farming), and then neglected, along with the spirits of this area both human and non. I had learned when I moved here that horrible things happened to humans some time back and I still felt those spirits here, enmeshed with the land itself that was also still in trauma. I know how this sounds, but it makes sense to me now, so just move on if this is not within your scope.
Since then I promised to help with this land and work it beautifully by loving each individual plant or tree I put in, giving care to each according their needs in a conscious way.....not simply mass planting and plowing through forcing the plant to behave in a certain way, (again farming practices), but nurturing each as an individual.....and I'm not talking babying the plants, I'm talking conscious attention to individual needs which equates to being detailed for each, developing a conversation with each and respecting each one. I have since seen the weather here change for the better compared with the last 2 years of me being here. I can now sense/feel a big difference in this land, and my connection to it. There is no longer a hostile feel though I still get stung by fire ants. When I look out the windows I can feel the land is awake/aware of me being a helpful friend to it. Those angry spirits seem to either no longer be here, or are no longer angry. In fact, in my daily vigilance in observing any slight changes here, I even sense/see a sparkle in the air and feel the happiness of the land, that is reflected in the change of the weather. We've had lovely cool nights all this time until 2 days ago, and the hot days where one does not want to even stand in the shade have arrived, but at least it was greatly delayed to which I am incredibly grateful as are the plants who are happy with the cooler temps. I have started seeds, quite late though, but at least they are going and we'll see what they want to do what this land will take.
I moved here in May of 2018 and two weeks after moving in it rained every single day until September. The neighbors said they'd never seen this much rain in the 13 years they'd been here, and others said this was highly unusual. I thought we were drowning. The temps were 100 degrees plus very high humidity the entire time. I developed serious heat exhaustion, and the stinging of fire ants on a regular basis kept me sick in bed. The next year, last year 2019, we had drought. I don't care what other residents of this city say, this area did not receive but may be 7 days of rain when it should be entirely a Rainy Season for the subtropics. So the plants I had put in, namely 10 topiary hibiscus and 2 weeping willow, died.....and no small plants could survive in those temps and humidity one year then drought and intense heat the next. I did not know what to make of this place. In addition I personally felt alienated from this land, I could not connect and that is the first thing I like to do when moving into a new place is introduce myself to the land and makes friends. It has always worked in the past , but this time I did not really introduce myself, its not really necessary as they know who we are, but I fully expected to be supported in my gardening ventures. I was not. It was quite hostile and eventually I began to see it was indeed personal.....not that I deserved what was happening but the spirits here were extremely angry.
So, as mentioned I finally "figured out" what was happening and stepped in to help because humans and land are intrinsically connected and to do so conscientiously was necessary. So I stepped in a it became a collaboration. There was not much dialog, but I would see the evidence of the assistance on a regular basis, in very specific ways. I was not alone.
I am listening to this if you care to join me:
Anyway, here are some pictures of what is going on here, and it does look better and feel better. This pic is from early February? This peach tree lower left had just a few blooms at this time but we had several frosts when it was very full of blossoms.....which all came too early, it seemed it could not wait for the "official spring time", it simply wanted to blossom, but 3 frosts came and killed all the blossoms except 4 which turned into only 4 peaches. I am trying to sprout those seeds. There is only one cattle panel up and a gazebo in the rear.
This below is all 5 panels up with the tree branches intertwined for both all year round aesthetics and support for vines, and the Welcome Banners are up on 4 trees, and two planters to be filled.
I almost cannot believe I was able to get these panels up and all symmetrical. Such a feat! Each panel has a different veggie, watermelon in front on both sides, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber and pumpkin. The squashes and cucumbers are already producing. The little white "cages" are $ tree baskets I used to protect the young plants from rabbits. They are now removed and the veggies are doing well, slowly growing up the trellises.
I have solar crackle glass lights on each of the 5 panels so as to have light through the tunnel archway for my nightly walk throughs.
So now instead of this below, .........
Now this is what I see in the mornings, and I love doing my walk through the tunnel archways first thing to check on the growth, tying the vines up and loving what is growing. And the sparkling of the water and sounds of the fountain.
ok moving on, I also got some flagstone and made a table and two benches. I love the stone. I only like to see stone and wood out here, but I wanted a table set that would not corrode in any way.
In the mornings till noon, I see lovely yellow dandelion flowers which I pick and make into a tea.
On four of the pine trees which are placed just towards the back of the property in line of vision from the house, I have Welcome Banners, for the Fae Spirits, and a lantern hanging above each one.
These planters filled out quite a bit, something I'd never really had success with either here on this property or on the previous property, because the heat was too much, but again, its been cooler for some reason.
This is the raised bed which I love because I don't have to bend......here we have lots of scallions regrown from the tips of those we bought. Tomatoes, eggplants, cubanelle peppers, and tarragon. They are all doing well and I've never seen the eggplants do so well before, but they are beautiful just for the plants aesthetics itself.
I had to put some sheer fabric to diffuse the strong sun. Now everything in this bed is doing well.
Some lemon trees I started from a lemon's seed the first year here. They are getting big.
This is a work/dining table we just built. I needed something to keep my seed trays on, so we had all this wood here from john not finishing the porch decking, so I said lets just build the table. It came out gorgeous, and will last more than a lifetime. This is an heirloom for sure.
The table in place now, hold seedlings of lavender, mesclun mix, basil, parsley, cilantro, tomatoes, onion seeds, and flowers of hollyhock, campanulas, foxgloves, sweet peas and moon-flower for the arches. We'll see how the seeds grow. I've done all I can for them, the rest is up to Nature.
The side door with window boxes filled with strawberries....and some large marigold plants, such a cheerful color. All the veggie plants and marigolds we got from the local farmers market.
A small raised bed with kale, and I got grow bags for potatoes, onions, collards and romaine lettuce. I like the idea of grow bags because I don't have to deal with cutting horrid tough grass to get to soil which needs amending anyway. And these bags can be moved and folded up when not in use.
Strawberries in a hanging basket with $tree solar lights in the place of candle holders. It lights up at night.
To the right of the staircase a bed of mint I just let it take over.
To the left I have a variety of lemon verbena, dill, parsley rosemary, thyme, more rogue mint, sage and chives. Doesn't look like much but this 4'x4' bed supplies what we need.
This is a large phantom hydrangea which should have huge white blooms, and a small pink one.
On the front "deck"...tons of Star Jasmine flowers in bloom for months now, and the scent heavenly!
One day when I woke up I saw a horse grazing on our lawn, it's magical!
Why it took me so long to make this post, is I have to go through many loops to get the pictures and to edit them to the right size individually. Since my pc crashed things no longer work as it did, lots more clicking, work and time, so it takes hours to make this one post. That is why.
Note to myself what we're growing: potatoes, onions, garlic, scallions, eggplants, zucchini, yellow swash, cucumber, watermelon, pumpkin (for pumpkin praline cheesecake! :D) kale, collards, mesclun mix, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, strawberries, 12 different herbs, and flowers: hydrangea, roses, hopefully the peonies will come up, dahlias just budding, sweet peas, moon-flower, morning glories, foxglove, campanulas, hollyhocks hopefully, and lavender, I pray all come up. But I have help now :D.
ok, now for the inside of the house:
I love amaryllis in whites and pinks. This one had a spotlight over it and looked magical.
A variety of the flowers I keep in the kitchen passthrough......every week its different and beautiful. These are white lilies and campanulas.
This is texas sage, tulips and hydrangeas.
This is how my bedroom looks these days. I love the branches as I don't have to keep changing them out and when I light my candles at night they create huge shadows on the walls and it feels and looks like a woods. I had guests here recently and they said my house looks like an Enchanted Fairy Forest. Sigh....I have achieved the feeling I wanted.
This is the laundry nook. I love this area.....such a clean space and feeling. I keep the cleaning powders in clear glass so I can mix what I need for the laundry's specifics. I keep flowers here too.
The table by the entry door.....orchids and lilies.
I think that's all for now. I hope you all can see the work I've done. And its such a pleasure to see something growing.
I hope you all have a magical day.
*Lots of pics!
Just want to post some pics since I've been working a bit on this property/land in accordance to guidance from the Land Spirits......to help heal this place and return it to a potentiality for the Green Enchanted. I spoke a bit in previous posts that I finally figured out what is going on with this land, and how I felt with it, and basically this land has been awfully injured, forced into a type of man-made girdle of production, (farming), and then neglected, along with the spirits of this area both human and non. I had learned when I moved here that horrible things happened to humans some time back and I still felt those spirits here, enmeshed with the land itself that was also still in trauma. I know how this sounds, but it makes sense to me now, so just move on if this is not within your scope.
Since then I promised to help with this land and work it beautifully by loving each individual plant or tree I put in, giving care to each according their needs in a conscious way.....not simply mass planting and plowing through forcing the plant to behave in a certain way, (again farming practices), but nurturing each as an individual.....and I'm not talking babying the plants, I'm talking conscious attention to individual needs which equates to being detailed for each, developing a conversation with each and respecting each one. I have since seen the weather here change for the better compared with the last 2 years of me being here. I can now sense/feel a big difference in this land, and my connection to it. There is no longer a hostile feel though I still get stung by fire ants. When I look out the windows I can feel the land is awake/aware of me being a helpful friend to it. Those angry spirits seem to either no longer be here, or are no longer angry. In fact, in my daily vigilance in observing any slight changes here, I even sense/see a sparkle in the air and feel the happiness of the land, that is reflected in the change of the weather. We've had lovely cool nights all this time until 2 days ago, and the hot days where one does not want to even stand in the shade have arrived, but at least it was greatly delayed to which I am incredibly grateful as are the plants who are happy with the cooler temps. I have started seeds, quite late though, but at least they are going and we'll see what they want to do what this land will take.
I moved here in May of 2018 and two weeks after moving in it rained every single day until September. The neighbors said they'd never seen this much rain in the 13 years they'd been here, and others said this was highly unusual. I thought we were drowning. The temps were 100 degrees plus very high humidity the entire time. I developed serious heat exhaustion, and the stinging of fire ants on a regular basis kept me sick in bed. The next year, last year 2019, we had drought. I don't care what other residents of this city say, this area did not receive but may be 7 days of rain when it should be entirely a Rainy Season for the subtropics. So the plants I had put in, namely 10 topiary hibiscus and 2 weeping willow, died.....and no small plants could survive in those temps and humidity one year then drought and intense heat the next. I did not know what to make of this place. In addition I personally felt alienated from this land, I could not connect and that is the first thing I like to do when moving into a new place is introduce myself to the land and makes friends. It has always worked in the past , but this time I did not really introduce myself, its not really necessary as they know who we are, but I fully expected to be supported in my gardening ventures. I was not. It was quite hostile and eventually I began to see it was indeed personal.....not that I deserved what was happening but the spirits here were extremely angry.
So, as mentioned I finally "figured out" what was happening and stepped in to help because humans and land are intrinsically connected and to do so conscientiously was necessary. So I stepped in a it became a collaboration. There was not much dialog, but I would see the evidence of the assistance on a regular basis, in very specific ways. I was not alone.
I am listening to this if you care to join me:
Anyway, here are some pictures of what is going on here, and it does look better and feel better. This pic is from early February? This peach tree lower left had just a few blooms at this time but we had several frosts when it was very full of blossoms.....which all came too early, it seemed it could not wait for the "official spring time", it simply wanted to blossom, but 3 frosts came and killed all the blossoms except 4 which turned into only 4 peaches. I am trying to sprout those seeds. There is only one cattle panel up and a gazebo in the rear.
This below is all 5 panels up with the tree branches intertwined for both all year round aesthetics and support for vines, and the Welcome Banners are up on 4 trees, and two planters to be filled.
I almost cannot believe I was able to get these panels up and all symmetrical. Such a feat! Each panel has a different veggie, watermelon in front on both sides, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber and pumpkin. The squashes and cucumbers are already producing. The little white "cages" are $ tree baskets I used to protect the young plants from rabbits. They are now removed and the veggies are doing well, slowly growing up the trellises.
So now instead of this below, .........
Now this is what I see in the mornings, and I love doing my walk through the tunnel archways first thing to check on the growth, tying the vines up and loving what is growing. And the sparkling of the water and sounds of the fountain.
ok moving on, I also got some flagstone and made a table and two benches. I love the stone. I only like to see stone and wood out here, but I wanted a table set that would not corrode in any way.
In the mornings till noon, I see lovely yellow dandelion flowers which I pick and make into a tea.
On four of the pine trees which are placed just towards the back of the property in line of vision from the house, I have Welcome Banners, for the Fae Spirits, and a lantern hanging above each one.
These planters filled out quite a bit, something I'd never really had success with either here on this property or on the previous property, because the heat was too much, but again, its been cooler for some reason.
This is the raised bed which I love because I don't have to bend......here we have lots of scallions regrown from the tips of those we bought. Tomatoes, eggplants, cubanelle peppers, and tarragon. They are all doing well and I've never seen the eggplants do so well before, but they are beautiful just for the plants aesthetics itself.
I had to put some sheer fabric to diffuse the strong sun. Now everything in this bed is doing well.
Some lemon trees I started from a lemon's seed the first year here. They are getting big.
This is a work/dining table we just built. I needed something to keep my seed trays on, so we had all this wood here from john not finishing the porch decking, so I said lets just build the table. It came out gorgeous, and will last more than a lifetime. This is an heirloom for sure.
The table in place now, hold seedlings of lavender, mesclun mix, basil, parsley, cilantro, tomatoes, onion seeds, and flowers of hollyhock, campanulas, foxgloves, sweet peas and moon-flower for the arches. We'll see how the seeds grow. I've done all I can for them, the rest is up to Nature.
The side door with window boxes filled with strawberries....and some large marigold plants, such a cheerful color. All the veggie plants and marigolds we got from the local farmers market.
A small raised bed with kale, and I got grow bags for potatoes, onions, collards and romaine lettuce. I like the idea of grow bags because I don't have to deal with cutting horrid tough grass to get to soil which needs amending anyway. And these bags can be moved and folded up when not in use.
Strawberries in a hanging basket with $tree solar lights in the place of candle holders. It lights up at night.
To the right of the staircase a bed of mint I just let it take over.
To the left I have a variety of lemon verbena, dill, parsley rosemary, thyme, more rogue mint, sage and chives. Doesn't look like much but this 4'x4' bed supplies what we need.
This is a large phantom hydrangea which should have huge white blooms, and a small pink one.
On the front "deck"...tons of Star Jasmine flowers in bloom for months now, and the scent heavenly!
One day when I woke up I saw a horse grazing on our lawn, it's magical!
Why it took me so long to make this post, is I have to go through many loops to get the pictures and to edit them to the right size individually. Since my pc crashed things no longer work as it did, lots more clicking, work and time, so it takes hours to make this one post. That is why.
Note to myself what we're growing: potatoes, onions, garlic, scallions, eggplants, zucchini, yellow swash, cucumber, watermelon, pumpkin (for pumpkin praline cheesecake! :D) kale, collards, mesclun mix, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, strawberries, 12 different herbs, and flowers: hydrangea, roses, hopefully the peonies will come up, dahlias just budding, sweet peas, moon-flower, morning glories, foxglove, campanulas, hollyhocks hopefully, and lavender, I pray all come up. But I have help now :D.
ok, now for the inside of the house:
I love amaryllis in whites and pinks. This one had a spotlight over it and looked magical.
This is texas sage, tulips and hydrangeas.
This is how my bedroom looks these days. I love the branches as I don't have to keep changing them out and when I light my candles at night they create huge shadows on the walls and it feels and looks like a woods. I had guests here recently and they said my house looks like an Enchanted Fairy Forest. Sigh....I have achieved the feeling I wanted.
This is the laundry nook. I love this area.....such a clean space and feeling. I keep the cleaning powders in clear glass so I can mix what I need for the laundry's specifics. I keep flowers here too.
The table by the entry door.....orchids and lilies.
I think that's all for now. I hope you all can see the work I've done. And its such a pleasure to see something growing.
I hope you all have a magical day.
OH Serena, You have such an elegance with all you create. There is a feeling of royalty and opulence in such a simple setting, and though the land was not just a blank slate with all the troubled energetics, your presence is clearly the balm it was yearning for. You have mastered the elements of beauty and inspiration that few ever achieve or even dream of ! I am so happy I could visit and see with my own eyes all the magic you weave. YOU are the fairy queen.
ReplyDeleteaw Lily, lol....no seriously, I humbly thank you for seeing it that way. The sense of "royalty and opulence" definitely is the influence of the Fae, both on me and on the land. But when you were here everything was a mess since you also came right after a tornado went through here and nothing was growing yet. I have since replenished 100% of what was here. I wish I had 100 times what I have now, this is all I can do with my meager budget as you can imagine. Most of it is working the tenet of "getting the most impact with the least (effort/or $)"....and it took me a while to figure things out. I am happy with the amount we've planted, I just really really hope they all bloom and fruit....then I will have achieved something of joy here and the land will be refreshed/revitalized....and nothing miserable can live in a land of beauty and joy, right? Thank you.
DeleteHello!! So excited to see you gardening again. I loved seeing pictures of your previous garden. Sending good wishes all will grow and flourish. I too, have recently started gardening again. After the slight lapses do you ever feel like you can't get enough of being outdoors and nuturing living things into prospering? I really could spend all my money on plants. I just want to acquire more and more but like you funds prohibit. Two quick questions, do you use other garden inspirations/books to guide you or is it instinct? I mean how did get the idea of the banners and the lanters and such? Also, how do you take care of your Maidenhair ferns? I long to have mine look like yours? Thank you so much for sharing. Blessings, Melissa
ReplyDeleteOMG Melissa, you hit upon 3 things very dear to me at once! First the maidenhair ferns are my number one love in plants, not sure why, don't care, but I cannot get enough of them. If I could I would fill my house with only them, in fact I plan to. But I cannot keep them alive because the humidity in here goes down to 50% which is simply too dry for them, and for me too in fact. They need the humidity to be at least 70%, as I do too. Even keeping a bowl of water near them doesn't work. I must use a vaporizer in the room to make it humid, use the clothes dryer and/or boil water on the stove, but for them, they need humidity. Even though they don't mind sitting in water, their leaves will dry up and it takes far too long to grow them back, but I do keep the ones that have something to revive. And my AC vents blow strong and they hate that as well. They like still air. I only have one left in the house that is halfway decent but I'm on a mission to find more. I keep placing orders for the maidenhair ferns at my nursery but I never get a call from them and when I do go the plants they have are too meager for the $12. they charge. When I lived in TN for in 2018 they had them large and beautiful and cheap! I even thought of calling a Kroeger and driving to them if they had them in! Extreme! lol....so if you have one of those near you keep checking.
Delete2ndly as for inspiration/books, no. I've written previously about how I get my inspiration and often the ideas are implanted in my head I believe from the Fae themselves. Too often I have been hit with their brilliance and in wonder why I never thought of it and sometimes in a row. But since I moved here I "imagined" I saw lights from each of the pine trees since they are placed so nicely distanced apart on this land, and at night it is pitch black here so I always loved the idea of lights. The welcome banners are my way of keeping it known to the Fae that I welcome them here on this land and my life. I wanted to have on display for the Fae all the time and that I would collaborate with them to cleanse and revivify this land. I am part Fae myself, which means so many things.
3rdly, I cannot, CANNOT get enough of gardening. I just keep finding things to do, little things, perfecting things, and every night I am glad I look forward to getting up in the morning to go straight outside to look at how much seedlings have grown, or veggies growing 4" overnight!.....I just have NEVER had this kind of proliferation of good behavior in plants in my 30 years of gardening and its not just the cow manure I used, know what I mean? I do have help from the Fae. And I do in fact, spend what money I do get on plants or related things. And there are few things I don't like doing and that is watering in the extreme heat (100 degrees) with a hose, it knocks me out, literally. I used a xmas gift card in buying an irrigation system for the archway veggies and that has been a blessing every day since the hose does not reach and I abhor filling buckets. It is also on a timer. It takes 4 hours to water everything else though with the hoses. But my hands in soil? Bliss! Seeing greenery grow? Heaven! I want more and more. Yes, bring on the LUSH! lol
Thank you so much for the info on the ferns. I bought a mine at Homedepot for less than $6.00. It's pretty decent looking, you might want to try there if you have not already. Hopefully, I will be able to keep this one alive. Happy gardening and blessings, Melissa
DeleteI look for maidenhair plants anywhere I go, but the only place that carries them is the one nursery. Never seen them at H.D.....but I always check, Thanks.
DeleteYou are making me swoon with what you have accomplished! Everything is so lovely, beautiful, gorgeous! I love your idea with the $Tree store up-side-down baskets to keep the critters out. And the idea for the potatoes, and other veges with the bags you are growing them in so you can move them to sunshine or shade, depending upon the weather. I am sure you have a good wheel-barrow for toting things around. Your home is bliss! Totally fairy bliss! I can imagine the lovely fragrance of the flowers filling the house. Your out-door seed table is wonderful! I can tell you worked diligently to maintain all of what you have planted and nourished with love of what you are accomplishing. Thank you so very, very much for sharing this beauty and enchantment! I am glad for you that the weather has behaved this spring. We too, had a long cooler spell, but alas! It will be in the 100's next week. I am not ready for the heat to begin, but it is a part of the process of growing the crops and flowers. I also like the gauze fabric you used to soften the bright sunshine, protecting the plants. The arbor walkway, with the lights is ethereal. You have captured the essence of JOY! Sigh...I am happy for you for this enchanted acreage you live in. And the fountain, with flowing water, such a peaceful, and soothing atmosphere you have created! Thank you again for sharing your dedication, and also your heart and soul and spirit. Peace always to you, my friend, and sister of the land.
ReplyDeleteThank you Miss T for reading and responding. I know some have asked me about what I'm doing as they know me for years and have seen some things, so once in a while I make a post with pics and then I send them to all my friends, its better than a phone call in my opinion. But there is alot of Fairy Beauty here, even others see it and will comment on that on their own. Like the one friend who was here who has no interest in Fae things, said it looks like a Magical Fairy Forest. I've achieved what I wanted to create. This house is filled with flowers and plants. Thank you !
DeleteLady, where are you? I pray you are well and happy
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to write another post on updates here, but its just too sad. Thanks for asking for me. I am not quite "well", and not quite "happy". I'm working on it though. I still may write an update very shortly.
DeleteAwww...I am so sorry. Hopefully, healing can begin and things will get better soon. Let us know how we can help. Blessings, Melissa
DeleteSerena, how are you? I miss you, dearest fairy.
ReplyDeleteSerena, hi! This is Lily M with the mandala workshops in FL. So glad to find you here and that you are still blogging. Where did you move to? Looks like a lovely place and lovely environment you’ve created for yourself. Are you far from Florida? Send my best in blessings.
ReplyDeleteLily! I thought of you just last week! wondering how you were?!I moved to TN for a year then back to Fl, Gainesville area.....I've always wanted to catch up with you to hear how you are. Please get back to me if you feel up to it.
Delete