The Children’s Garden of Earthly Delight just before the October Full Moon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right before the hard frost arrived and most of the leaves fell…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Autumn begins to wane Fairy Folk are busy preparing for winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blueberry barrens on top of Blue Fairy Hill twinkle with fairy dust encouraging plants to surrender their leaves of scarlet and gold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile deep within the enchanted forest a Wood Nymph gathers together all of the bunnies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Nymphs have a natural affinity for the gentlest and most defenseless beings who inhabit the forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Singing chants only Wood Nymphs know, they cast powerful spells transforming bunny brown summer fur into a safer winter white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Nymphs are as gentle as they are efficient and each bunny once enchanted is returned to his or her own burrow with care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late in Autumn as dusk falls the veil that separates our mortal world from the Fairy Realm blurs for a bit…and if you look carefully, listening with your heart as well as your ears.., you just might…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hear the lovely song of a Wood Nymph as she sings to bunnies turning soft brown summer fur into protective winter white.

 

 

 

 

 

On the north side of a small mountain not far from the sea sits a fine little farmhouse as happy as can be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surrounded by meadows of hay, orchards of fruit, gardens of flowers, vegetables and herbs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Horse is Guardian of the Home Place Fairy Folk who reside in the Enchanted Forest that borders this farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Foxy Friend and Fairy Companion, Caspian rests at the edge of the Enchanted Forrest as he contemplates the events of his day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairy Lee checks that the greenhouse has been properly dusted with just the right amount of fairy dust as day begins to slip into dusk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She double checks that all of the Toadstools have been sprinkled with precisely the correct amount of magical dust in preparation for the Cricket Band who will perform their symphony while standing upon them beginning at dawn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The very first evening of each October, right at dusk the Fairies will venture from the hills where the little farmhouse rests and fly to the shore where they will sing goodbye for the season to their Selkie cousins who spend their winters further out at sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later the the fairies will return to the meadow here at the farm and dance in the twilight of autumns cooling moon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late  September is harvest time . The Home Place Fairy Folk and I have been busy gathering vegetables,  late season fruits such as apples and grapes as well as flowers and herbs . Vegetables are cleaned and frozen for consuming during the long cold months of winter. Herbs and flowers are gathered and hung to dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little bit of fairy dust goes a long way to sweeten and ripen fruits and flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helpful children tend the gardens as Fairy’s dust sparkles and twinkles all around them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our greenhouse is filled with tomatoes for ripening just before the frost arrives. A few branches of arctic hardy kiwi rests in the foreground of this photograph. Huge kiwi vines cover one of my arbors with thousands of little fruits; they will be perfectly ripened after the second gentle frost of fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small children gather sunflower seed for birds and wee wildlings; tiny field mice and chipmunks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gardens are like magical kingdoms, they are filled with mystery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Home Place Fairy Folk work hard tending my gardens but always make time each and every day to dance and be merry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At day’s end when the fairies are done with both work and play, they leave the gardens, fields and orchards as they flutter and march one by one into The Enchanted Woodland.  Their home is a beautiful chamber snug and warm, hidden deep within the trunk of a grand oak tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I collect my days harvest as the last fairies depart for the evening and I bless the Little People, forever grateful for the loveliness of this magical world all around me .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magic happens in every garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All one has to do is look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late September, October is on the rise as summer gives way and autumn begins to fall.

 

 

 

 

 

Winter is not far on the horizon and springtime is just a memory away.

So many tiny wonders everywhere.

 

 

 

A Statue of the Fairy Guardian Angel honors the day’s first light as glimmers of fairy dust twinkle all around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will be a fine day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun will shine for awhile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and later, a welcome rain will fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny wonders around us, everywhere and always.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magic happens in every garden, all you have to do is look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September is a generally a month of superb, kind weather. The heavy heat of summer has passed and cool nights have settled upon us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the time of year when my gardens have grown beyond their borders, boldly heralding their abundance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am busy collecting seed for next season’s plantings as fairies twinkle, scattering fairy dust where ever they go.

Elecampane, also known as Elfwort rises regal behind me, yellow and proud. Elfswort grows up to 5 feet tall, is a perennial plant that flowers from July through September here in Maine. He is the favorite plant of Elves and attracts Fairies, butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.

Purple Loosestrife is in love with Elfwort and the two in my garden are often found side by side. Though Purple Loosestrife is very beautiful she is also aggressive and dominating, it takes a steady hand weeding to keep her from free ranging and growing wildly out of control.

 

 

 

In September we harvest peaches from our orchard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairy Folk and Wildlings come together with children to sample the first ripened peaches.

Little Penelope Porcupine loves peaches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As temperatures begin to cool our Wolf River Apples start to ripen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And later our pears…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mid October is harvest time in our orchard on the north side of a small mountain in Maine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organically grown with fairy dust our trees bear an abundance of fruit which fills our pantry, as well as supplying a food source for Wildlings and Fairies.

 

 

 

 

 

Adults and children, Fairy Folk and Old Horse,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family, neighbors and friends,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All gather together harvesting natures bounty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turning work into play is the Fairy way and we always take time for merriment.

Old Horse is Guardian of the Home Place Fairies as well as to a mortal girl and her younger sister.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was long ago enchanted by fairy folk and though he ages he never grows old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday we harvested pears, eating as we picked,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later we delivered our pears to the Apple Wizard and his Fair Lady who along with a young wizard in training pressed them into cider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will dry fruit; freeze fruit, make sauces, bake pies, pastries and tarts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Pixie Pear Tart sweetened with fairy dust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After her belly is full of peaches, apples or pears Penelope heads home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cutest little porcupine I have ever known.