Winter Solstice 2020

‘ .... watching the sun turn back from its midwinter nadir and start to inch it’s way up to the heavens, pushing the curve of the azimuth wider and wider....’  - Katherine Swift | The Morville Hours

Hanging on - Winter Crab Apple

 

Winter Crab Apple

Wild Summer Hedgerow Roses

Field Roses

Mid-Summer Solstice 2020

We are celebrating the 5years an Spéir (the Sky, in Irish) - first came the restoration of the old Farmstead into a studio with its outbuildings and then the Passive house. As soon as we could we planted trees - many trees starting with a circle of 5 white streamed birches in 2013 followed by a mix of more Birches, Crab Apples and fruit trees around the house and in 2016 we planted a forest of a mix of small native Irish trees in the bottom South West field. 

We created gardens around the house - a Walled Garden to the North East side and rockeries with wild and planted plants to the South. 

And then came the an Spéir Ark - the Re-Wilding of the land. Over time we had walked a thin path around the land. With the ‘lockdown’ as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the paths became more worn and marked and new awareness and connection with the land was made.

The ‘an Spéir Nature Meander’ developed over this time with Nature stations created in special parts of the meander. 7 in total - each with their unique characteristics and atmosphere. A rectangular hay bale raised up on an old  pallet, form the seats for each station

an Spéir Ark : Nature Meander 

Planting Plan for Spring 2020

Sunset on 1 January 2020