Art in the Garden: A Faerie's Guide to Cottage Garden Colour
The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness has descended over my far flung corner of the world, dear wildflowers. And the cottage garden is a tangle of spent summer blooms and drooping seed heads, nodding gently in the breeze. It is wild and weedy, and all the plants are tinged with burnt orange and caramel now. Rosy pink camellia petals and golden oak leaves flutter to the ground, and the earth breathes a long, deep sigh before settling into her winter slumber.
As the high heat of summer gives way to cool breezes and chill mornings, this little garden goblin can finally get on with the busy work of the season. Weeding, pruning, digging up bulbs and pulling out all the spent summer annuals. It is so satisfying to tidy up the cottage garden, but even on these cool Autumn days, it can be a hot and sweaty job for a wildflower! Phewwf!
I have gathered the cosmos and zinnias I like best, and now I’ll move on to selecting my favourite dahlias of the season, so I’ll know which bulbs to keep for next year, and which ones to give away as gifts. I’m looking at you, Mum!
You may remember the episode where I began planning this new garden at Belladonna Cottage, and how I wanted a colour palette of plum and lavender, apricot, raspberry, and dragon fire orange. I made my selections from pictures in seed catalogues but, it is only now, after a summer spent in observation, that I can truly know the way each individual plant expresses itself, seeing their glorious display of shape and colour in context. The myriad hues and shades, when set against each other, blend and soften, or contrast and pop... and some, of course, clash rather unfortunately. And you can’t really know until you see it all come to life.
Pale pastel and whites flower, for example, lend a sweet, softening effect to their companions in the garden, so I’ll definitely be planting purity white cosmos again, along with whirling butterflies, creamy David Austin roses and white velvet salvias. The same goes for foliage colour, which is why I love to add in silvery saltbush, white sage and lamb’s ears.
I now know, roughly how tall each flower grows, how leafy and sprawling they can be, how large the blooms are, and in particular, the exact shade of their petals. After all, it’s really just another artwork, but this one is made with flowers, instead of paint and paper. I don’t know about you, but I’m really happy with how it all turned out, and I can’t wait to try again next season, with my shortlist of showstoppers.
It’s truly incredible how many seeds are produced from a single plant, which began as a tiny seed itself, just 6 or 7 months earlier. I’m almost certain that Mr. Rose and I could start a whole flower farm from this summer’s cut flower patch alone.
I’m not sure we’ll find a place for all of these beautiful babies come spring, so I might pop a limited number of mixed seed packets up on my online store for Australian garden faeries to enjoy... they’re far too pretty to sit in my potting shed in the dark, and I’d much rather imagine them blooming in cottage gardens across the country, delighting bees and butterflies and inspiring a new generation of green thumbs.
If you’d like to see this episode in full, head on over to ‘The Rambling Rose’…
A Cottage Witch's Gift Guide: The Art of Frugal Hedonism
“No one has ever become poor by giving” – Anne Frank
Summer has arrived here in Australia, and the days are getting warmer and longer in my sleepy little valley. Each morning I wake to the sound of magpies, fairy wrens and bower birds, happily chirping as the first rays of the sun spill out across the mountains. It’s easy to forget the outside world here sometimes, and, to be honest, I prefer to do so... A handful of friends and I, refer to this town as ‘The Shire’ sometimes, and I certainly feel like a harfoot at heart, wandering barefoot in my garden searching for berries, talking to faeries and following dragonflies along forest trails. But, adopting a slower pace and opting out of the modern world, requires some adjustments, and as the holiday season draws near, I’m reminded that one of those is developing the practice of frugal hedonism.
Simply put, it is the art of spending less, while enjoying everything more. Instead of trading your time and energy for money, ending up stressed and exhausted, with very little time to enjoy life, you can take back those precious hours of your life, and get creative with what you already have, rediscovering the incredible amount of free, and low cost, resources around you.
When we begin to recognise that the myth of ‘more’ is not in the best interest of human biology, we can slowly start to say ‘no’ to the cult of consumerism, and ‘yes’ to the abundance of the natural world, and to the generousity of loving, conscious community. We can slow down, heal our tired, tender bodies, and focus on what we truly need to be happy.
With a global recession looming, it seems many of us are tightening our purse strings even more this Christmas and so, I thought I’d share some ideas for delightful handmade gifts that you can make with materials found around the home, in the garden, or at your local thrift store.
A SWEET PET PORTRAIT – My first handmade gift idea, of course, is for the arty witches out there. Whether you are a painter like me, a photographer, or gifted with another creative talent, I thought to myself, what could be more special than a sweet pet portrait!? Pets are our beautiful, furry family, and our loyal familiars, so, I decided to gift one dear friend a painting of her beloved cat Forest. I will share a photo of Forest with my patrons on Patreon, so you can see how I did capturing his likeness.
SCENTED CHARM BAGS – My second thrifty gift idea is for all the skilled seamstress witches! It’s an easy little sewing project whether by hand, or machine. And you know, even my sewing machine and kit are thrifted! Since it’s high summer, the rose goddess garden I shared with you in the last episode is in full bloom, so we’ll be using the petals to create a heavenly scented charm bag. With a pinch of glamour magick. I’ll need to dry these petals first, but don’t worry, I have some dried ones saved up from last season. Now I only took up sewing again recently, and in true rambling rose style, I totally winged it with this pattern: I made quite a few mistakes, which is no surprise when you don’t even measure first! But I promise to write it up perfectly for my Wild Roses on Patreon, so you don’t have that feeling of ridiculousness when you realise it’s all inside out and upside down.
CHOC MINT TRUFFLES – My third homemade gift idea is for the kitchen witches, using any ingredients you have on hand to make a yummy edible gift. Now, I’ve got peppermint growing every which way in my garden this summer, even underneath my steps - let’s give them a quick sweep on the way to the herb garden shall we? I thought I’d use this voracious peppermint, along with some other ingredients in my pantry, to make choc mint truffles. I’ll pop the truffles in gorgeous tin from – you guessed it – the Op Shop! And i think they’ll make a lovely gift.
MINI FAERIE GARDEN – My fourth frugal gift idea is for the green thumbs, the garden fairies that just have a gift with plants, and it all started with a cutting from this beautiful spotted begonia. So, with an old painted pot that I previously repurposed, I thought I’d make a miniature fairy garden with this begonia cutting. With my own gift wrap and some more thrifted ribbon, in a charming bow, this gift cost next to nothing… and I feel like any garden faerie would adore it!
SUGAR SCRUB BARS – My final thrifty gift idea is for the green witches, the lovers of potions and lotions, and it uses another ingredient that’s growing in abundance this summer. Calendula! This magical flower stimulates collagen production, and will make your skin so youthful and bright. Along with some other ingredients in my home apothecary, we’ll be making some luscious sugar scrub bars for radiant, glowing skin. I think they look like the golden sun itself, don’t you? Beaming away in the garden. Once again, this recipe will be shared in detail with my Wild Roses on Patreon later this week, but they are quick and easy to make, and cost next to nothing.
Watch the full episode here…
Designing a Rose Goddess Garden
Planting a garden and watching it come to life over the years must be one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. It brings me so much joy to work hand in hand with mother nature, creating something of beauty and magic, a living artwork with my own two hands. Being out in the garden is incredibly healing, sun on my skin, earth between my fingers and toes. It allows me to enter that flow state, where all my fears and anxieties recede, my chattering mind goes quiet, and I feel in a peaceful state of ebb and flow, effortlessly dissolving into the rythym of nature. My heartbeat seems to slow to that of the pace of earth itself, and insights flow to me.
I’ve recently added a film to my vlog ‘The Rambling Rose’ where I show how I created a rose garden in honour of one of my favourite goddesses. You might recall that in my ‘Sowing A Secret Garden’ episode, I introduced you to the different zones in my ever evolving cottage garden, and how I promised to plant a brand new garden bed with you, centered around this stunning goddess bird bath?
When I spotted her on my local buy, swap, sell group, I knew instantly, that she was the one. Faeries love magical garden decor, mirrors, water features, wind chimes and such, and I felt they would be adore this bird bath. I thought, she would make the perfect centrepiece for a rose garden, one that would delight any romantic soul or, sweet little nanna at heart. And, of course, with the hot Australian summer on the way, it would hopefully become a beloved oasis for native birds, bees and other beneficial insects.
But at first, I couldn’t quite decide which goddess she most resembled... and which one I most wanted to honour with this garden. So... let’s start planting, and wait for a sign from the faeries. And, once all that hard work is done, we’ll head on up to my art loft to paint another page of my new illustrated book ‘Wild Faerie Magick’. Finally, a few weeks later, we’ll return to the rose goddess garden for the final reveal.
Watch the full episode here…
Tiny House Garden Project: Chicken Cottage Makeover
In my latest vlog over at ‘The Rambling Rose’, I shared how I gave my chicken coop a cottage garden makeover and figured out what herbs and flowers are best suited to my chookos. I even got to work with some power tools – yes, faeries use power tools! I share a few insights into building a tiny home, living off grid, and starting a cottage garden. And so, I thought it might be nice to share a little snippet here on my blog too…
When I found this little block of land back in 2019, my heart was filled with romantic dreams of creating an off-grid tiny home, with an overflowing veggie garden, an outdoor tub, meandering animals, and flowers everywhere. I thought I’d be self-sufficient, plastic free and living like a reclusive, forest witch in no time. But, dear wildflowers, I had no idea just how hard it would be to make that dream come true.
I shivered through the first three winters, after realising that my solar battery would not see me through the cold and dark and snow, trudging out to start the generator in my gumboots and dressing gown, faerie umbrella in hand, crawling under the house to reset the battery, brushing spiders and cobwebs from my hair. There have been so many challenges, blood, sweat and tears, and a whole lot of mud and mistakes.
But the garden teaches me so many things, and one of the most important is patience, and learning to adapt to your conditions, problem solving, and... when you make a mistake, you can always try again next season.
On one of my forest walks recently, I was drawn to a little creek and considered that, when a rock falls in its way, the river simply flows around it. When a tree comes down after a thunderstorm, it is as if nature just shrugs and simply sends some mushrooms and moss to make it their new home. I felt like the forest faeries were whispering some wisdom to me – mistakes are just opportunities to try a different approach.
My chicken coop has seen better days, and just like me, my two chickens have been doing it tough in their tiny home this winter. Now, as the days get brighter, I thought it was time to treat them to a Spring surprise, and build them a beautiful new home with a cottage garden of their very own. I put together a lovely green and white ‘cottage style’ chicken coop, made the nesting boxes cosy with wood shavings and herbs from the garden, and potted up some flowers to place around the coop. I also put in a little stone path leading up to the coop, and, in a future episode, want to build a ‘Hobbit style’ chicken run with wicker swinging gate and climbing vines. I honestly think I could live in a little green and white cottage surrounded by garden flowers. Hmm... I kinda do!
It looks like my girls are already loving their new home, and I’m so pleased with the result too! I feel much better knowing that they will be safe and warm through winter, and cool in summer here under the leaves of a peach tree. I can totally imagine little faeries sitting on the poppies and blessing my chickens too! Can you?
Watch the full episode here:
Ostara Picnic with Lemon Thyme Tea Cakes & Violet Lemonade
This week on ‘The Rambling Rose’ vlog I began my Ostara celebrations by baking up some scrumptious lemon and thyme tea cakes and a sweet violet lemonade made with magical herbs and edible flowers from my garden. I also try my hand at one of my favourite crafts for this sabbath – pretty painted eggs in a traditional floral folk style! So, be sure to watch the video here, and don’t forget to like and subscribe if you’d like to see more.
Here in the Southern Hemisphere, we celebrate the pagan sabbath Ostara – otherwise known as the Spring Equinox – on or around September 21st, while our friends in the north are celebrating Mabon. The turning of the Wheel of the Year, has been recognised by rural agrarian peoples for centuries so it is not just witches and faeries who celebrate these special days, but farmers and gardeners and anyone who simply loves being in nature... and of course, the plants and animals.
Perhaps it could be said that they celebrate more than anyone! Especially when it comes to Ostara! I see daffodils nodding their heads, as if wearing ruffled Elizabethan collars of pure sunshine, masses of cherry blossoms, blue hyacinths, fluffy camellia and the scent of sweet magnolia on the breeze.
Moving from the city to lead a slower, simpler life in the countryside, and settling in this place with a Victorian-esque climate, I have fallen in love with the changing seasons and felt more connected than ever to the earth and her magical rhythms and cycles. The pagan festivals and their crafty, colourful rituals captured my imagination, and I feel like this is what led me to the green witch path. If nothing else, celebrating the changes we see in our gardens every six weeks or so, is just a fun way to make life more enchanted. And I just love any excuse to bake, craft and celebrate... and let my inner child enjoy some whimsy and wonder. So, this year, I decided on a beautiful picnic among the blossom trees, fancying myself like Anne of Green Gables just revelling in the Spring sunshine. She always used to say ‘it provides so much scope for the imagination’ and I adore that.
So, my lovely wildflowers, here are the recipes for you to enjoy:
Violet Lemonade
Ingredients
1 cup of violet flowers
2 cups of boiling water
2 tbsp of raw honey
1 cup lemon juice
Method
Simply add the violets to a teapot and pour over the boiling water. Add a generous helping of raw honey and stir until thoroughly combined. Place the teapot in the refrigerator to cool for a spell. When cool, add to a stoppered bottle and pour over the lemon juice. Give it a little shake. If the lemonade has not turned the violet colour you desire, a few butterfly pea flowers will do the trick nicely!
Lemon & Thyme Mini Bundt Cakes
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
a handful of freshly picked thyme leaves
2 lemons, zested
115g unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp Greek yogurt
60 ml fresh lemon juice
for the lemon glaze
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
a handful of freshly picked pansies
Method
Prepare the bundt pan and pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). With room temperature butter, brush the moulds of your mini bundt tin.
Add the thyme and lemon zest into the bowl of sugar and rub it between your finger tips for one minute until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Next, in a large bowl, add the butter and sugar with the thyme and lemon zest, and cream them together with an electric hand-held mixer fitted with the beaters on medium-high speed, for 5 minutes until pale.
Reduce the speed to low and add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until well incorporated. Scrape down the base and sides of the bowl. Sift into the mixing bowl half of the flour and baking powder and mix on low speed until just combined. Add into the bowl the yogurt and lemon juice and mix again. Lastly, sift in the remaining flour and using a rubber spatula, fold through until a few flour streaks remain.
Either scoop the batter into the prepared bundt moulds or fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe into the moulds until they are two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out the bundt pan onto the wire rack. Give the pan a slight tap and the bundt cakes should drop out. Let the cakes cool completely and then decorate with the lemon glaze and pansies. The perfect faerie picnic awaits!
I so hope you enjoy these recipes and, if you’d like to see the full recipe, picnic, and crafting the painted eggs for my Ostara altar, please head over to my YouTube channel ‘The Rambling Rose’. I appreciate every comment and would love to hear how you went with the recipes and your own Ostara crafts. Blessed be, sweet souls and a very happy Spring Equinox.
All my love, Nancy xx
Watch the full episode here:
Garden Quiche with Potato, Kale & Rosemary
In the latest episode of my cottage witchy vlog ‘The Rambling Rose’, I share this recipe for a simple Garden Quiche, made with seasonal herbs and greens harvested from my very own veggie garden. I also use eggs from my two beautiful chickens, Hollyhock and Foxglove, who have been laying again – another wonderful sign that spring is just around the corner. In the episode, we also gather flowers such as daffodils, jonquils and snowdrops that herald the Return of the Light, or Imbolc on the pagan Wheel of the Year, and use them as inspiration to paint a few pages of my new book 'Wild Faerie Magick'. With this Garden Quiche we enjoy a simple brunch and a cup of tea in honour of the goddess Brigid. Here’s the recipe…
Ingredients
8-9 free range, happy eggs
2 sheets of vegan puff pastry
1 tbsp of plant-based butter
a splash of almond milk
50g of almond feta
a small handful of kale leaves
a sprig of rosemary, stem removed
1 potato, sliced thinly
salt & pepper, to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C and grease a pie dish with the butter.
Press pastry into the pie dish and around edge to form a crust, trimming excess. Poke holes with a fork and press around the edges for a decorative effect.
Whisk together 6 eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour on top of pasty in the pie dish.
Spread potato gently on top of the egg mixture and then crumble the almond feta on top. Strip the stems from the kale, wash the leaves and chop roughly, then sprinkle on top along with the rosemary. Crack the remaining eggs on top and gently break the yoke.
Brush the pastry edges with a little extra egg mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Enjoy!