Delighted to find native Bluebells still blooming in Lagan Meadows in Belfast today 🪻✨ Especially, as this nature reserve is under intense assault from numerous escapee species from local gardens including Spanish Bluebells which astonishingly are still legal to sell in Northern Ireland.

Witches were once believed to transform into hares in order to escape the attentions of pitchfork wielding villagers 🔥 A potion made from this tiny flower "The Harebell" assisted them in their transformation 🐰💜

One of Britain and Ireland's most dangerous plants...Hemlock Water Dropwort, so toxic it shaped the folklore of Cow Parsley, a pleasant edible named “Mother Die” due to it's similarity 💀🌿 The entire plant is poisonous and the swollen parsnip-like roots came to be known as “Dead Man’s Fingers” ⚰️

The Prickly Tunnel leading to Ballynoe Stone Circle....all paths should be Prickly Tunnels 💮✨

It ls as a cure for nettle stings that the dock is best known 💛 🌿 But in Scotland this plant, which supports 80 species of insects, had a more important use. For when children, or even adults, were suffering the effects of a fairy curse it was believed that could be used to repel the magic 🧚🏻🪄

This meadow was cut every fortnight until there was nothing but silence 🌱 After two years without mowing it is a living sea of yellow and green 🌼✨ Bees and butterflies drift between flowers and every inch is filled with life that was not there before 🐝🦋 “Untidy” is not neglect...it is recovery 💛

In the year 1650, during Sunday Mass at Ray Church Co. Donegal, soldiers of Oliver Cromwell massacred the entire congregation,of men, women and children. Their bodies were laid to rest in a mass grave known as Lag na gCnámh' or 'Resting Place of the Bones' just 200 metres from the Church.

In Co. Kerry, people placed Hawthorn sprigs in fields during May to stop fairies stealing crops, yet this tree that offered so much protection was feared. In one tale a man cut down a Hawthorn and from the stump blood gushed, soaking the earth. He lived just long enough to describe what he saw 🌾🩸

A blind harpist named Turlough O'Carolan was the last of the great Irish bards...yet before he fell asleep within a fairy circle his music was far from special 🪉 As he slept music from below filled his dreams so that when he awoke the magic of their tunes ran forever through his head 🎵 🪄

They're waiting for you....🧚🏻

Nettle, known as 'neantóg' in Irish, is a nutritious plant and vital part of our ecosystem that supports over 40 species of insects 🦋 In parts of England, people once believed that grasping a nettle and pulling it from the ground would cure a family member suffering from fever 🌿

This little lady lives along the path to one of Ireland's most wonderful stone circles....and she's always watching....

With it's red berries the Rowan is known for its protective qualities against fire and fairies 🍒 It was common to keep a sprig in the home to ward off fairies that sought to set fire to the building and in Scotland its wood was included in the construction of chimneys to protect the home 🔥

"The old women are most learned, but will not readily talk, for the fairies are very secretive, and much resent being talked of" W.B. Yeats

A tale tells of how a young, colourless snow once begged the flowers to share with it their colours but was refused by all except for the humble Snowdrop who eagerly shared its bright white with the snow ❄️ In return the snow protected the Snowdrop during the cold and promised to never harm it 🩵

Má dhá Cheo "The Plain of the Two Mists" an enchanted place in Irish mythology that we can only hope to reach...some people believe that by simply wanting to be there a part of us will be ☁️

Ray Church was founded in the 6th Century a little way from Falcarragh in County Donegal....and just a little more than 1000 years later the congregation were massacred by the troops of Oliver Cromwell. The folk were buried in a mass grave known as Lag na gCnámh' or 'Resting Place of the Bones'

In Irish folklore the Elder was feared and its magic often centred on threats to children... It was once firmly believed that a crib made from Elder wood would invite disaster and that the fairies, whose dwelling had been disturbed, would sicken the baby...and in time steal the child away 🧚🏻‍♀️🔥

When these three (bad haircuts & all) and their little sister walk through these Donegal mountains in decades to come the view couldn't be more different to what it is now. Reducrd grazing is allowing the scraps of existing rainforest to expand and I just wish I could be there to see it with them 🌳☘️

Barnstokkr was an Oak 🌳 in Norse myth that grew within the Hall of King Vǫlsungr, it's canopy reaching out towards the sky ☀️ During a feast, a bare foot, hooded & one eyed stranger entered & plunged a sword deep into the 🌳 Nobles tried in turn but none except the King's son could pull it free 👁️🗡️

A doorway composed of Hawthorn, Elder and even a Bramble Arch....there is every chance that if you pass through here you will not find yourself standing in the field that you see 🌾✨

In Ireland, the Bramble is called Dris and now that it is August and Halloween isn't too far away it is time to start looking for your own Bramble arch 🌿🎃 If you crawl through it on Samhain it will give you the power to summon demons who will do your bidding for the night 👹👻

Bird's-foot trefoil is a favourite among pollinators in Ireland and has more colloquial names than any other flowering plant with a personal favourite being "Granny's Toenails" ✨ Children once brought it to class in their pockets to protect against the malign attentions of overly strict teachers 💛

Ribwort grows by footpaths, rivers...anywhere really. Good news for the pollinators who adore it 🐝🦋 Chewed up & applied to battle wounds it is believed that this plant has strong curative powers⚔️ But be careful as if the wind changes as a person picks it they will descend into madness 🧚🏻‍♂️✨

In Norse folklore, the Foxglove was a gift to the foxes from mischievous fairies🌷🌿 Intended as socks to cushion & silence the feet of the fox allowing them to quietly enter the chicken coop of an unsuspecting human 🦊🩷

Known in as Lasair choille "Forest Flame", this fledgling Goldfinch has yet to develop the incandescent red facial markings that give it it's name 🔥 A group of Goldfinches is known as "a charm" & they are known to gather where fairies live, often being seen around fairy forts and Hawthorn trees 🪨🌳

The rich red berries make the Rowan a must have when it comes to keeping evil away 🍒💀 Red is considered the most potent colour when it comes to warding off evil whilst the five pointed star that can be found opposite the stalk forms a pentagram which has been used to ward off evil for centuries ❤️🌿

Rosebay Willow herb🩷 How can a plant so magnificent be considered an unwanted pest🌷 Whilst picking the leaves of plants such as Nettles will protect you against the elements it is said that picking Rosebay Willow herb will invoke thunderstorms ⛈️🔥

Knapweed on the banks of the neolithic Giants Ring 💜🌿 A valuable food source for pollinating insects Knapweed helps to keep evil away 🦋 It is used in love divination & if a woman places a Knapweed bud in her pocket & it blooms shortly thereafter then she will surely soon meet her future husband 💜✨

Known in Ireland as "Beathnua", St John's Wort was one of the most important medicinal herbs in Europe🌼💛 it is entirely repugnant to evil spirits and when grown in or around the home it was thought to keep a family content and both the home and any livestock fruitful and full of life 👻✨

In Norse mythology, just as in #Celtic myth, the Apple is associated with love, beauty and immortaliy 💕 Iðunn is the Goddess tasked with keeping the apples that grant the Aesir Gods their eternal youth and longevity. Without them, it is said, that they would either and die 🍏 ⚰️

Marsh Marigold brings a golden yellow glow to Irish swamps 🌼💛 Protecting against the efforts of ill intentioned fairies, it was woven into garlands with other protective flowers to protect both cattle sheds and milk containers from mischievous magical folk seeking to turn the milk✨🐮🥛

Just lose yourself in the yellow haze 🌼✨

Why are we lied to about wildflowers in Ireland and the UK? As a society we have been taught to think that anything growing wild is a weed & if the grass grows beyond the sole of a shoe it must be cut. As of yesterday these white and red Clover flowers are gone & soon so will the bees🔥💮🌸

In Irish folklore the Fox has a long established bond with the Fairies 🦊🧚🏻 Acting as a messenger & guardian of their doorways the little folk gifted each Fox a magical Pearl as a token of their friendship 🧡 Should you find such such a Pearl it will be bestow upon you tremendous good luck 🦪🪄

In Ireland Nettles support around forty different species and many of these support other creatures which feed upon them 🐞🦋 One of the most useful properties of Nettle, beyond using them to make soup or tea, is that carrying a piece in your pocket will render you immune to lightning strikes 🌿⛈️

The Elder, known as Trom in Ireland, is intensely magical & important to biodiversity 🦋💮 Burning the wood of the tree would bring misfortune and even death whilst if a baby's crib was to be made from Elder then slowly but surely the infant would sicken and be taken away by the fairies 🧚🏻‍♂️☠️

In Norse mythology, a squirrel named Ratatoskr scurries along the branches of Yggdrasil 🌳spending eternity delivering messages between the eagle Hræsvelgr, perched at the tree's peak, and the dragon Níðhöggr, who gnaws at its roots constantly stirring tension ensuring their rivalry never ends 🐿️⚔️

Cow Parsley enjoying life by the River Lagan🌿☀️ Not long ago nothing grew here but as a result of tougher financial times rather than awareness wildlife is given a chance🌿🦋 Cow Parsley was called Dead Mans Flourish and it was believed that someone would die if the plant was brought into the home ☠️💮

Blackbirds live for about four years during which they grace us with their beauty and ethereal song 🪶🎶 If you collect a feather of a Blackbird, place it beneath the pillow of a loved one & they shall tell you the their innermost desires and their darkest secrets...but do you really want to know? 🪶🐦‍⬛

In the Ogham, Furze appears as Gort which means "meadow" & was once of great importance and added monetary value to a piece of land 💰 Sacred to Lugh, the shining former King of the "Tuatha Dé Danaan" it was prized as food for livestock🐄🌿 Carrying a sprig will keep you from getting lost 🌼

In Norse mythology, a squirrel named Ratatoskr scurries along the branches of Yggdrasil 🌳spending eternity delivering messages between the eagle Hræsvelgr, perched at the tree's peak, and the dragon Níðhöggr, who gnaws at its roots constantly stirring tension ensuring their rivalry never ends 🐿️⚔️

Ireland lies under a blanket if Hawthorn blossom 💮 We know it as a fairy portal but in ancient Rome it was used to close doors 🚪✨i Sacred to Cardea, Roman Goddess of Doorways & Hinges,Hawthorn would be hung on a newborn's door to strengthen Cardea's power as she protected the sleeping baby💮🩷

Breakfast time 🍲 When we crop our public areas of grass these little folk have nothing to eat 🌼 🐝

Dandelions are known as Caisearbhán in Irish 🌼☘️ A lifeline for pollinating insects, the seeds are a popular source of food for beautiful native birds such as Goldfinches 🐝💛 When you blow the seeds and count those that remain then the present time in the Celtic Otherworld will be revealed to you 🌼⏳

Nettles have long been a symbol of loneliness & desolation but they are very, very healthy for you 🌿 In Ireland, it was once believed that having a three meals of Nettle during the month of April (May depending upon who you ask) would keep you healthy and free from illness for the rest of the year🌱

Nettles have long been a symbol of loneliness & desolation but they are very, very healthy for you 🌿 In Ireland, it was once believed that having a three meals of Nettle during the month of April (May depending upon who you ask) would keep you healthy and free from illness for the rest of the year🌱

Surrounded by mist this Hawthorn was both ancient and beautiful 🌳🤍 When fog descends in Ireland you can be sure that fairies are about. The fairy mist is known as Féth fiada and it's shimmering clouds hide the magical folk from the eyes of humans 🧚🏻‍♂️☁️ #FairytaleTuesday

I think that the greatest gift you can give your children is to restore the natural world that their ancestors once enjoyed🌳🐺🐝

A juvenile Alder (Alnus Glutinosa) growing by a peat stained river on Ireland's west coast🍀 A riverbank without Alder is a sad riverbank🌳🌿