Seasonal Greetings & Best Wishes for 2022!

Mistletoe Magic

 

Summer Solstice June 21-24 2021

 

Mid-Summer Meadows

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

Seasonal Greetings

The land at an Spéir is in a deep slumber for the Winter months and I’d like to send you Seasonal Greetings and all the best for 2020!

I am currently working on new monoprints for the ‘Re-Wilding’ print series.
 www.jenniecastleartist.com

‘Hawthorn Berries’

Pencil, oil and colour render on paper.

Winter Sunrise

Winter Cold Moon - last of the Decade

Winter Cold Moon - last of the Decade

Fields of Yarrow, an Spéir Ark

Yarrow | White and Pink

Achillea millefolium

Irish Name : Athair thalún 

Thistle this and Thistle that!

A variety of thistles are growing in the an Spéir Ark......

Creeping Thistle, pink

Creeping Thistle, white

Marsh Thistle

Spear Thistle

Sow Thistle

Mid Summer Eve’s Visitor

A Fox Cub! Small enough to sit in the bird feeder.

Summer Solstice Grasses 2019

Summer Solstice Grasses

Now to learn their names!

First baby swallows have fledged 18th June

A Pop of Self Seeded Poppies!

Self Seeded in the Veggie Patch -There are Broccoli plants somewhere in there!

Rogue Poppies in the Studio Courtyard 

Mayflowers - White Hawthorn

Spring Happenings at an Spéir

The first ‘pioneer’ plants are coming up. Goats Willow has underplanted itself around some of the new native trees and in the gaps. Hopefully these will provide extra shelter to the new trees from the winds.

Beech tree with Goast’s Willow

Newcomers - 2 clumps of Gorse in each field.

Spring Pollinator flowers - Red Dead Nettle and Dandelions

Happy May Day (La Bealtaine)

Wildflowers picked from an Spéir Ark - placed at the door of my studio for good luck then onto a friend.

Lá Bealtaine (Irish) 

Beltane or Beltain is the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on 1 May, or about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. 

Also called: Lá Bealtaine (Irish), Là Bealltainn (Scottish Gaelic)