Appearing in Irish myth as a symbol of beauty the Yellow Iris is both a beautiful and magical plant 💛✨ Étaín, a maiden of ethereal beauty, is described as having hair "like yellow flags in summer" and a human taken by fairies to The Otherworld may reappear as a glowing patch of Yellow Iris 🌞🪄

Hawthorn beneath a canopy of Oak and Ash...just as it should be. When Oak, Ash and 'thorn grow together & the light of the full moon shines....take care, for in these places, at these times, fairies gather and should you hear their music & touch one of these trees you will awake in the Otherworld 🪄

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 ⛈️🔥