VenetiaJane's Garden

“Airs of summer that softly blow, Sing your whispering songs to me, Over the grass like a shadow go, Flutter your wings in the rustling tree.” - from ‘Song’ by Rose Terry Cooke (1827-1892). #nature #poetry

Hi Twitter friends 👋🥰hope you’re keeping well 🤗We haven’t posted here all year, and lost our nerve. But we miss our friends here, and Benji’s been really busy with art and nature🌍If you see this, do say hello🥹we’d love to find our friends here again! Love Benji & Nish💚

In West Yorkshire #folklore, hazel trees were watched over by Churn Milk Peg, a scary, pipe-smoking faery hag. Children were warned not to gather unripe nuts, or she would give them a sharp pinch, or carry them off altogether. Her wrath protected the #harvest. #LegendaryWednesday

Isn’t this amazing! A needlefelted badger, and yet it looks so real. 🦡

Such a wonderful account to follow, full of wonderful words and verses! #FollowFriday

The Agapanthus, or ‘Lily of the Nile’, is the ‘flower of love’, its name derived from the Greek agapē (love) and anthos (flower). A piece of its root kept as an amulet is said to protect those who suffer from astraphobia—the fear of storms and thunder. #FolkloreThursday

Hi👋🥰I’m going to be climbing Cadair Idris in Wales to raise money for some amazing charities, @ReservaYLT @BenfieldValley @SussexWildlife and families in Gaza❤️ Please share🙏and if you’re able to sponsor me it would mean a lot to help these charities🥰 gofund.me/c800e091

“Robins appear when loved ones are near.” In British folklore, the robin is seen as a spirit messenger, a bird of comfort and compassion. Its appearance is often thought to be a brief visitation from a loved one’s spirit, perhaps at a time of passing or mourning. #FolkloreSunday

A German tale tells how a vintner’s cart got stuck in the mud. The Virgin Mary appeared and asked for wine, but he had no glass. She picked a field bindweed flower & bade him pour it in. At once, the cart was freed. The flower became known as “Our Lady’s Little Glass”. #folklore

It is said that when the wildflowers wither on Earth, they ascend to the “heaven of flowers”. There they continue to blossom in all their glory, their colourful hues creating the rainbows we often see in the sky, and bringing us hope and joy. #FlowersOnFriday #FlowerFridayFamily

In German lore rowan leaves are said to ease an aching back, and a yoke made of rowan wood will quieten a headstrong bull. In Scandinavia, a branch placed above the cowshed door wards off “flying dragons.” A churn carved from rowan brings butter swiftly to hand. #FolkloreThursday

A follow on from yesterday… just been watching mummy goldfinch trying to coax her baby to fly down, and use the perch to feed itself. After a couple of misjudged attempts to hit the target, success! Now it is happily feeding opposite its very proud mum 🥰

So wonderful to see this goldfinch feeding its baby on top of the bird feeder just now! #nature #joy

In ancient times, plants of the Centaurea genus were prized for their healing powers. Their name harks back to Chiron, the wise centaur of Greek myth, half man, half horse, renowned for his deep knowledge of herbs and medicine. #FairytaleTuesday #Mythology

In England’s apple-growing regions, rain on St. Swithin’s Day (15th July) was said to be the saint ‘christening’ the apples. Far from a curse, wet weather on this day was a blessing, an omen of a bountiful harvest and trees heavily laden with fruit come autumn. #folklore #history