Where are all the nasturtiums?

where-are-all-the-nasturtiums

Last year the raised bed was overflowing with gorgeous orange and yellow faces and abundant greenery. Exuberant in growth and impact, I couldn’t help but smile every time I passed by. So, where are they now? There was just a single flower tucked away at the side, even though hundreds of seed pods were left … Read more

What might we be missing?

what-are-we-missing

We’ve all had those experiences of earnestly searching for something we’ve lost, only to find it right in front of us. Not seeing for looking. The other day my second lesson from clearing the thistles felt like this. In endeavouring to gather all the flowering stems along a track by the lake, I walked with … Read more

What can we learn from thistles?

what-can-we-learn-from-thistles

No, this isn’t a philosophical question – though it could be. Traditional Welsh farming practice is to leave thistles growing until July. Then chop them down. Thistles take up valuable grass space and consume a lot of moisture. So it is tempting to get rid of them earlier. However, this would deny precious nectar for … Read more

Closed-loop or emergent?

closed-loop-or-emergent

Are we destined to make the same mistakes over and over again? And while the patterns that often define us won’t change overnight, we do have choices. Just sometimes, we don’t know what they are. I wonder, how might we ask?

Learning to walk

learning-to-walk

Can you remember what it was like learning to walk? No, neither can I. However, we do watch little ones – in my case baby alpacas – and marvel at their determination, persistence and willingness to fail. And in it, their sheer delight at getting back up and getting better. Little step, by little step. … Read more