River Tay Fresh Water Pearls

Below are two examples of gold pearl jewellery I made a while ago for Cairncross.
Cairncross in Perth proffers an unusual buy: Scottish freshwater pearls from the River Tay, in delicate settings. The Romans coveted these pearls. If you do, too, then you can make your choice at Cairncross Ltd., Goldsmiths, where you can also admire a display of some of the more unusual shapes and colours of pearls. Some of the settings take their theme from Scottish and other flowers.
Cairncross Ltd., Goldsmiths

18 St. John's St., Perth, PH1 5SA
Tel 01738/624367

River Tay Fresh Water Pearls set in pure and red/white 9ct gold broach.

River Tay Fresh water pearl set in 9ct red and white gold broach based on a cyclamen flower.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Consecration and preparation of the site of Samye-Ling Tibetan centre Temple complex By Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Akong Rinpoche, Lamas and monks. Where they sat was later removed to a depth of 30 feet or so for the foundations, earlier the hillock had been denuded of pine trees in a spectacular storm but only just there.
By followers of Tibetan Buddhism Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche is regarded as having been a great teacher of teachers, a realized being, who was also remarked upon as being a genuinely good human being. His entire life was devoted to the preservation and dissemination of the Buddha Dharma and he is still regarded with awe and amazement throughout the Tibetan diaspora, and western centres of Tibetan Buddhism. His importance within the Nyingma school in the 20th century was all-pervading. He was one of the few Tibetan Lamas accorded the honorific title of "His Holiness". Following the death of Dudjom Rinpoche in 1987, he became the head of the Nyingma School, and remained so until his own death in Bhutan on 28 September 1991.
This and all photographs are copyright. No reproduction without permission.

Tayview North Fife 24th 25th June

I see these views every day, the water, the sky, the highlands. I love to share with you.

Tayview 24th June, looking north east over low water exposing the sand banks with another overcast sky.

Newburgh 25th June on the horizon a row of giant wind turbines in Perthshire. They're sprouting up everywhere, a sign of the times.

Tayview 25th June the water like a millpond. Over the river on the carse of gowrie acres of poly tunnels protect crops of berries, tayberries, raspberries, strawberries etc.

Tayview June 23rd 2011

Tayview June 23rd, a day full of showers, clear and not unpleasant.

Tayview at Flisk looking due North with Errol airfield on the other side and Flisk point stretching into the flow on the bottom left of the shot.

Badger North Fife

Badger, alas a road kill at Higham woods opposite Ballinbreich Farm and Castle. Open fields to one side of the curving road and woods the other. I found it two days ago and moved to the side of the road where I photographed it today. This particular stretch of road is increasingly fatal to so many wild animals, over the years I have collided with many deer and once an otter, all quite disturbing.

Mackerel North Fife

Mackerel North Fife, now is the season and available in the North Sea, Firth of Forth and locally line caught. Here gutted, incised rubbed with salt with a slither of fresh garlic in the cuts and ready to be grilled, we like them with new potatoes mixed leaf salad and a squeeze of lemon. Delicious.

Solstice 2011 North Fife

Solstice 2011 North Fife, Tayview 21st June.
What dreich day, no visible sunrise in this neck of the woods, yet all over the world the day will be observed as a turning point with many rituals taking place, in the UK the most notable is at StoneHenge where Druids assemble, hopefully they had a good sunrise.

Sacred Gatherings: Rituals for the Pagan Family [Kindle Edition]
Sacred Gatherings is a complete collection of full rituals for the Pagan family. Whether that family is parents or caregivers with children, a small group of people who like to do ritual together, or a solitary practitioner who cares about Earth and all her children, this book will be instrumental in the celebration of solstices, equinoxes, cross-quarter days, full moons, and dark moons. There are also rituals to aid others in healing and to honor the major changes and milestones in life. Including children is an important part of doing any family ritual and this book helps families do that by containing rituals that are short, using rhyming texts, and including activities to keep children interested and focused. Other useful tips on how to include and involve children in ritual are included throughout the book.
Kindle Price: £7.10 includes VAT & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
Download Here.Sacred Gatherings: Rituals for the Pagan Family

Path of the Shaman.
Dispelling the modern myths about shamans, Anna Franklin teaches from the first words on the first page that what has gone before is a twisting, a changing of the truth about shamans. She then delves in to some very personal stories about people called to this path and each of their personal numinous experiences. Having disabused us of our preconceived notions, this helps us understand more deeply just what she has been explaining though example. Her section on changing consciousness is precise. It may not sit well with modern neo-pagans to be confronted with such un-PC methods of altering the mind but she only scored bonus points with me for doing the right thing in not sitting in the 'bunnies and light' camp. She goes on to explain more about ways of beginning your journey of travelling the cosmos before introducing us to the world of spirits. Breaking down and explaining the world of spirits, she makes this section accessible to most readers but be aware - to someone brand new to all this you may get slightly left behind. She progresses to an excellent chapter on animal powers and thankfully follows it with a section on their often ignored counterparts - plant allies. She pulls no punches in this section and all plants are investigated. With recipes for flying ointment, trance incense and shamans tea among others, this book does not pull any punches. After the preparation of the knowledge for the journey, she leads us in to the final chapter on shamanic practice. I was moved beyond words by the beginning of this book. It reminded me of my traumatic numinous experiences which I have studiously tried to forget. It woke in me those vestiges of that path which I did not wish to traverse. I learned more, understood more and recognized more than I had before. This is a serious book and does not seem intended for the lighter, politically-correct (PC), fluffy, crystal-weenie pagan that so many of today's books are aimed at. Franklin assumes the reader has a brain and is able to do side reading and is not reliant on the book as the oracle of all knowledge.

The Path of the Shaman is book two in Anna Franklin s Eight Paths of Magic series, exploring the role of the shaman, the mediator between the world of humankind and the world of spirits. This book explores, from the perspective of native British shamanism, the shamanic cosmos, the web of power, the shamanic crisis and becoming a shaman, healing and soul work, as well as working with the spirits of the land, plus animal and plant allies.
RRP: £12.95
Price: £11.66 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.

Click here to buy.The Path of the Shaman

Mint Sauce North Fife

Spring lambs in North Fife looking rather alarmed at the mention of mint sauce and their mum saying 'don't listen to him'.

Tayview North Fife 16th June 2011

Tayview North Fife 16th June.

Candy floss clouds forever churning as they drift by gathering moisture.

Tayview with roses. For miles the roadside is graced with these wild roses, it never ceases to give me great pleasure and enjoy their presence, mildly scented and varying in colour in the white to red spectrum. The season lasts about 4 weeks of flower followed later in the autumn with rose hips of intense deep red.

Roses roses everywhere.

Tayside 15th June

Sunbeams shining on a few righteous in Tayside 15th June.

Solitary Bees North Fife

Solitary bee tucking into pollen on a dandelion, one of the Colletes species ( Colletes daviesanus) that nest in the ground in friable soil. A first I thought it was a hover fly or honey bee though honey bees are larger. They pose no threat being stingless. Right now we have a bumble bee nest at the entrance to the house, the queen having found a small hole at ground level leading to the cavity wall. Over the years masonry bees have used gaps between stones and even unused door keyholes, sometimes filling in with mud reducing the hole to bee size. Fascinating. There are a multitude of small life forms that share our living space, happily and respected.

Bugs Britannia. (Hard cover).
As with Flora and Birds, Bugs is not a biological guide but a richly-illustrated cultural one, seen through the eyes of writers, musicians, artists and naturalists – from the great Tudor naturalist, Thomas Muffet (father of Little Miss Muffet) to Irvine Welsh’s talking tapeworm in Filth – as well as contributions by ordinary men and women who are fascinated by creepy-crawlies of all kinds.

The book is structured along a roughly evolving path, from simple cell life-forms – amoeba, worms, crustaceans (proof, say the authors, of ‘just how far you can go on very little’) – to bugs we all might recognise – spiders, butterflies, bees – and back into the water to meet molluscs and ‘almost-fish’… The book works so triumphantly because author Peter Marren has examined bugs in the dusty corners of our houses and gardens as well as traversing mountains, lakes and fields. In addition to the fascinating habits of the bug world, he also includes the eccentric behaviour of the bug obsessives themselves.

But of course, the true heroes of the book are the bugs themselves: the nimble-dicks, clock ladies and coffin-cutters. From the Boring Sponge (its official name!) to the Mermaid’s Glove and Penis Worm, via the glamourous Dark Crimson Underwing and Ruby-Tailed Wasp – this rich compendium of bugs is a must not only for naturalists but for anyone who cares about the crawling, buzzing swarms at our feet.
Review
"...a colourful, illustrated chronicle of why insects are important."--The Times

"The information in it was so wide-ranging and so well written that I am sure it would be a great buy for anyone with an interest in the so-called lower forms of animal life, natural history or just in the smaller creatures, good, bad or indifferent, that you find in the garden"--Gardens Illustrated

"Bugs Britannica is a celebration of the life that swarms at our feet and in the air."--The Scotsman

"The insect world is teeming with wonder in this outstanding cultural guide to the interaction of invertebrates and man."--Sunday Times

"...rare turns of phrase, gentle humour and quaint anecdotes about often-overlooked creatures"--BBC Wildlife Magazine

"Gorgeously produced and illustrated... each bug and its accompanying text is so fascinating that I wanted to read them all."--Charlotte Sleigh, Sunday Telegraph

"A cultural natural history - a record of what we think about invertebrates and how they...continue to influence our lives."--Bristol Evening Post

"Bugs Britannica is full of amazing facts and figures... A book to savour like a fine wine."-- TheTravelEditor.com

"Marren...lights up every invertebrate family, writing with zesty humour and sympathy... It is quite magnificent"--The Independent

"The book works...magnificently"--Eastern Daily Press

"A veritable feast and inspiration to delve into"--Highland News

"A sumptuous new book... its 500 gorgeous pages are comprehensive in their scope"--Manchester Evening News

"The book is a delight of illustration, information and anecdote about the world of invertebrates."--Current Biology

"It is easy to lose hours in this book."--The Guardian

"Enormous fun... The book is a delight, a rich but digestible potage of the arcane and the unexpected."--Country Life

"a delightful book"--The Spectator
Book Description
From sea squirts to slugs to swallowtails, the third, fabulous and gorgeously illustrated book in Richard Mabey’s series, a companion volume to the bestselling classics Flora Britannica and Birds Britannica.

512 pages of wonderment.

RRP: £35.00
Price: £20.24 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £14.76 (42%)

A very worthwhile addition to the home. Click to buy now. Bugs Britannica
.

Elderflowers North Fife

Elderflower time is just starting here in North Fife. The Elder provides fabulous fruit but the flowers are a rich ingredient for drinks and foods too.


Lotte Duncan.
Below is a cordial recipe by Lotte Duncan. BBC

Homemade elderflower cordial is so much better than anything you can buy. Serve with sparkling water for a refreshing drink or sparkling wine for a delicious cocktail.
Ingredients

30 elderflower heads
1.7litres/3 pints boiling water
900g/2lb caster sugar
50g/2oz citric acid (available from chemists)
2 unwaxed oranges, sliced
3 unwaxed lemons, sliced
Preparation method

Gently rinse over the elderflowers to remove any dirt or little creatures.
Pour the boiling water over the sugar in a very large mixing bowl Stir well and leave to cool.
Add the citric acid, the orange and lemon slices, and then the flowers.
Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Strain through some muslin and transfer to sterilised bottles.

Below a recipe for Rhubarb Jam with Elderflowers



Try this North Fife Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam, it's a real treat. Approx:-
2 Kilos of preserving sugar ( contains pectin),
1 Kilo of skinned and cut pieces of rhubarb,
1 Kilo of fresh strawberries halved or quartered, depending.
3 or 4 heads of Elderberry flowers, just the flowers.
Put half the sugar and all the ingredients ( not the Elderflowers )in a pan and set aside over night.
bring to a boil and simmer, add the remaining sugar, stir from time to time and test, when a sample sets on a cold plate it's ready to pour hot into sterilised jars. At This point put in the Elderflowers, stir, Enjoy.

A useful tip. Don't bother with waxed paper, just screw the lid on whilst hot and invert. A vacuum is formed on cooling, airtight and sterile.
Best to avoid aluminium cooking pots.

Tayviews 12th 13th 14th June North Fife

The ever changing views of the River Tay at Newburgh North Fife, ordinary but fabulous too.

Tayview 12th June, rainy but quite pleasant to be in, warm and needed for quality growth of the field crops which apart from pasture is mainly wheat, barley, oilseed rape and potatoes. The orchards, although promising abundance after a brilliant spring have suffered storm damage in unprotected places, so it's just wait and see.


Tayview June 13th.

Tayview 13th June.


Newburgh Quarry to the East of the town, a massive hole in the ground and hillside, I'll be taking you there quite soon, owners permitting.

Offering and Practice Mandala

Offering and Practice Mandala as used in Tibetan Buddhism. This example, made in Scotland by myself, one of many, is for a shrine. A plain base duplicate is used for the actual practice.
Alas with passing of time my hand/eye co-ordination has degraded. Now I work in other less demanding arts and crafts.


Offering and practice mandala. Silver, parcel gilt, engraved and bejewelled.
The preliminary practices are the approach in the preparation for the Tantric practice. In Tibet, it is known as Ngondro, which means 'something that goes before'. There are two kinds of preliminary practices, the first is the common / ordinary and the second is special / particular.

Fourth Foundation Practice Yoga - The Offering of the Mandala

The Mandala practice enhances the positive factors in attaining enlightenment. According to traditions, two small slightly convex metal plates, called the Mandalas, are used as a basis for meditation. One of them is placed on the shrine, as above. The other Mandala is held in the hand for making offerings with five piles of rice in a pattern, one in the centre and one in each of the four directions. This forms the basis for the visualization of the sources of refuge, the Three Jewels and the Three Roots, in the sky in front of the practitioner.

The actual visualization is built in stages. The first step is to create an idealized conception of the universe in four directions, then the seven attributes of the universe monarch (wheel, gem, consort, minister, elephant, horse and general), and then the eighth attribute is a great vase filled with treasures, which represent the eight cardinal and inter-cardinal directions, including East, South, West, North, SE, SW, NE, NW.

Next, the eight offering goddess are visualized in the cardinal directions, namely, the goddess of joy, the goddess of flower garlands, goddess of song, and the goddess of dance, then the other four in the inter-cardinal directions, i.e. goddess of flowers in SE, goddess of incense in SW, goddess of lamps, light and illumination in NW, and goddess of perfumed water in NE. The next elements are the sun and the moon, the world systems of greater and greater order of magnitude. One meditates and allows the mind rest in a state of formlessness, non-conceptual awareness and tranguility.

In making offerings, one should not simply benefit oneself, but benefit all sentient beings out of compassion.
May all beings be happy, may all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.

Detached Villa Kilmany North Fife for Sale

A choice property in an ideal location.

Detached Villa Kilmany North Fife for Sale.

Offers over £445,000

A superb villa providing luxury living in the delightful rural village of Kilmany. The property features Arts and Crafts styling and extensive landscaped gardens. Planning permission for ¼ acre garden plot. Convenient for commuters.

Drawing room. Dining room. Kitchen/family room. Utility. Conservatory. W.C. Master bedroom with en-suite. 3 further bedrooms. Gardens. Family bathroom. Oil central heating. Double glazing. Double garage.
Property Type : Detached
Public Rooms : 3
Bedrooms : 4
Bathrooms : 3
Garden : yes
Garage : yes
Pictures

A superb villa providing luxury living in the delightful rural village of Kilmany. The property features Arts and Crafts styling and extensive landscaped gardens. Planning permission for ¼ acre garden plot. Convenient for commuters. Drawing room. Dining room. Kitchen/family room. Utility. Conservatory. W.C. Master bedroom with en-suite. 3 further bedrooms. Gardens. Family bathroom. Oil central heating. Double glazing. Double garage
A truly impressive detached villa, individually designed in the Arts and Crafts style, set within extensive landscaped garden grounds, approx. ¾ acre, part of which,(1/4 acre) has planning permission for 1 dwelling house. The accommodation comprises: reception hallway, drawing room, with feature wood burning stove, dining room, kitchen/family room, utility, conservatory and w.c. Upstairs there is the master bedroom with 4 piece en-suite shower room, 3 further bedrooms and the family bathroom. There are hardwood finishes throughout with a feature arts and crafts staircase. There is oil central heating and double glazing, with under floor heating in the bathroom and en-suite. Externally, there is a detached double garage with power and light, accessed via a gravel driveway. The gardens have been attractively landscaped and are well stocked with herbaceous plants and shrubs and set in mature woodland. The two patio areas catch the sunlight most of the day. Viewing is highly recommended to fully appreciate the south facing secluded setting of this property and an appointment to view can be made by contacting Pagan Osborne.

Kilmany is a delightful village with a scattering of cottages and villas which enjoy a rural setting. For the commuter Kilmany lies 4 miles south of the Tay road Bridge and Dundee, Cupar and St Andrews are all less than 15 minutes by car. Railway connections are available at either Cupar, Leuchars or Dundee.

Contact. Ref, north-fife.blogspot.com

Pagan Osborne Property Services
Solicitors and Estate Agents
1 Crossgate
Cupar
Fife
KY15 4HA

Tel : 01334 656525
Fax : 01334 654119

E-mail : property-cupar@pagan.co.uk
Website : www.paganosborne.com

Sex Life North Fife

Sex Life: How Our Sexual Encounters and Experiences Define Who We Are.
Everything you ever wanted to know about our lifelong sexual urges ... by bestselling author Dr Pamela Stephenson-Connolly [Hardcover].

When did your sexual experiences start? Are you having more virtual sex than real sex? Can you have too much or not enough sex? What exactly is ‘normal’?

Bestselling author and leading sex therapist, Pamela Stephenson-Connolly takes us on an eye-opening journey to explode the myths and answer the embarrassing questions we’ve always wanted to ask about sex and our insatiable appetite for it.

Drawing on hundreds of intimate interviews with ordinary people of all ages, appetites and backgrounds, Stephenson-Connolly reveals how the ever-present sexual force in each of us evolves throughout our lives, from our first months in the womb up right until our nineties. She also shows that there is no such thing as ‘normal’ and that anything goes when it comes to sex as long as it is safe, sane and consensual. The result is an intimate portrait of our sexual selves that dispels the myths, guilt and mystery surrounding sex and our sexual urges.

Hugely informative, always entertaining and at times shocking, this is arguably one of the most enlightening books on sex ever published.

RRP: £20.00
Price: £10.00 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.You Save: £10.00 (50%)

Click to be liberated and become intimate. Sex Life: How Our Sexual Encounters and Experiences Define Who We Are

With the Kisses of His Mouth

Confessions of a man-eater


With the Kisses of His Mouth [Hardcover] A Memoir
Review
'An intelligent, dark, thorny but redemptive book about sex. Men, read it at your peril' --Robert Rowland Smith, author of Breakfast with Socrates

At last a book about female sexuality that isn't coy or vainglorious. With the Kisses of his Mouth is a fresh look at love, lust and longing in the 21st century. And it's funny too'
--Daisy Goodwin, author of My Last Duchess
Product Description
Provocative and explicitly candid, this is a memoir which explores hidden worlds and breaks new ground. It is the story of an extraordinary love affair, a devastating break-up and what happened next: a sexual odyssey...

RRP: £14.99
Price: £7.94 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery.

Click here for a treat. With the Kisses of His Mouth

Mandala offering to Karmapa

Mandala offering to Karmapa at the retreat centre Rumtek, part of and preceding the Black Hat Crown Ceremony.

No reproduction without permission.

Old Rumtek Sikkim

Old Rumtek Monastery perched on the mountain side just below Karmapa's main seat in Sikkim, the prayer flags on the bottom left mark the perimeter of New Rumtek. The valley shrouded in cloud is a mile deep to the river below. I have fond memories of driving H.H.16th Karmapa from new to old monasteries for a picnic with three of the regents. Wonderful days, a while ago now, along the way small fires on the roadside burned incense as people bowed in obeisance to H.H.16th Karmapa, Shamar Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche as we passed by.

Wind Turbines Newburgh North Fife

Earlier this week I posted in support of the introduction of wind turbines at Newburgh North Fife.
Looking at the subject more deeply I came upon this publication. Outwardly it seemed an eminently sensible thing to do, cut down on fossil fuels and counter global warming.
Perhaps I am wrong.


The Wind Farm Scam
The spectre of global warming and the political panic surrounding it has triggered a goldrush for renewable energy sources without an open discussion of the merits and drawbacks of each. In The Wind Farm Scam Dr Etherington argues that in the case of wind power the latter far outweigh the former. Wind turbines cannot generate enough energy to reduce global CO2 levels to a meaningful degree; what's more wind power is by nature intermittent and cannot generate a steady output, necessitating back-up coal and gas power plants that significantly negate the saving of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to the inefficacy of wind power there are ecological drawbacks, including damage to habitats, wildlife and the far-from-insignificant aesthetic drawback of the assault upon natural beauty and the pristine landscape, which wind turbines entail. Dr Etherington argues that wind power has been, and is being, excessively financed at the cost of consumers who have not been consulted, nor informed that this effective subsidy is being paid from their bills to support an industry that cannot be cost efficient or, ultimately, favour the cause it purports to support.
About the Author
John Etherington was a Reader in Ecology at the University of Wales, Cardiff. Since his retirement from the University in 1990, he has devoted himself to researching the implications of intermittently available renewable electricity generation, in particular wind power. He is a Thomas Huxley Medallist at the Royal College of Science and a former co-editor of the International Journal of Ecology.
If one is thinking globally and acting locally, then it is best to be fully informed. For those of us in the KY14 area, we should become more acquainted with the facts.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £5.88 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery
To buy now and know more. The Wind Farm Scam (Independent Minds)

For those of you who may live close to this and any proposed wind farm development then this publication below may be of interest.


Wind Turbine Syndrome.
Wind energy is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. It's billed as "clean, green, renewable." In this engagingly written, peer-reviewed report by a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine trained M.D. and Princeton (Population Biology) Ph.D., we discover wind energy's dirty little secret. Many people living within 2 km (1.25 miles) of these spinning giants get sick. So sick that they often abandon (as in, lock the door and leave) their homes. Nobody wants to buy their acoustically toxic homes. The "lhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifucky ones" get quietly bought out by the wind developers, who steadfastly refuse to acknowledge that Wind Turbine Syndrome exists. (And yet the wind developers thoughtfully include a confidentiality clause in the sales agreement, forbidding their victim from discussing the matter further.) Dr. Nina Pierpont explains in simple, layman's terms how turbine infrasound and low frequency noise (ILFN) create the seemingly incongruous constellation of symptoms she has christened Wind Turbine Syndrome. (Incongruous only to the non-clinician who does not understand Mother Nature's organs of balance, motion, and position sense.) For the high-level clinician, Pierpont provides a parallel chapter written in sophisticated medical language and format, complete with voluminous, up-to-date clinical and scientific references. The core of the book is 66 pages of ingeniously laid out tables wherein the author presents her clinical Case Histories--the hard data.
To see further. Click here.

The River Tay at Newburgh North Fife June 2011

The River Tay at Newburgh yesterday, calm, tranquil and here looking west upriver towards Perth.

Meanwhile in the Millpond at Parkhill Newburgh a soft and normal picture of swans being swans.

There are sygnets but not evident the now.

The Earth Care Manual - A Permaculture Handbook For Britain & Other Temperate Climates 2nd Edition

Sustainable living and life. Deep down we know we can't go on living the way we are. We however can change the way we use our gardens, land, patios, balconies, whatever space we have control over.

The Earth Care Manual - A Permaculture Handbook For Britain & Other Temperate Climates 2nd Edition.
Review
The Earth Care Manual, put simply, is fantastic. It is what I have been waiting for for years, and it is what those of us in temperate climates have urgently needed. Patrick's considerable experience in the fields of woodlands and fruit growing shine through especially strongly, but the whole book is rich with vision and experience. What it offers is common sense solutions rooted in the culture and climate of these islands. This book is a clear and unarguable road map to where we need to go, an A-Z to sanity and common sense. Patrick has created a manual with which we can repair this beautiful jewel of a planet which we are fortunate enough to inhabit, and in so doing has given us a truly precious gift. --Rob Hopkins, Co-founder of the Transition Movement

Just occasionally a book is published that fully justifies its title and can even change the reader s perspective on life. This is one of those rare and inspiring landmark events. --The Garden Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society

A visionary, yet practical book. A few sentences in and I realised I was in the company of one of the world's great teachers. Patrick Whitefield writes as if he were speaking directly to you. --Reforesting Scotland
Product Description
Already hailed in the UK, Europe and America as definitive, The Earth Care Manual offers an inspirational yet practical vision of a sustainable future invaluable to those new to the subject as well as to the experienced practitioner. Permaculture started in the 1970s as a sustainable alternative to modern industrial agriculture, taking its inspiration from natural ecosystems. It placed an emphasis on gardening but since then, expanding on its principles, it now includes many other aspects, from building and community design to energy use. It is an interconnecting framework which links a diversity of green ideas. Its aims are a low input, high output efficient use of resources and genuine sustainability. The Earth Care Manual gives a vision of a sustainable future and the practical steps we can take towards it, both large and small, urban and rural. The book defines permaculture and places it in the context of the green movement. Written by Patrick Whitefield, one of Europe s foremost teachers and practitioners of temperate permaculture, it explains in depth how to apply permaculture to any situation, from the smallest of buildings or apartments, to houses, gardens, orchards, farms and woodlands. It covers subjects vital to sustainability including food, energy, water, microclimate and shelter.
RRP: £39.95
Price: £33.96 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. Save 15% by buying here. The Earth Care Manual: A Permaculture Handbook for Britain and Other Temperate Climates: A Permaculture Handbook for Britain and Other Temperate Countries

Wild Roses June 2011

Wild roses. Right now the roadsides and uncultivated lands of North Fife are resplendent with roses ranging in colour from white to red. For a few weeks the whole locality becomes a giant garden. I love it.







Rose, completely unfurled and ready to drop those petals.