By August the Home Place Fairies and I have been faithfully tending the gardens here at the farm since early spring. Late summer days in Maine can be hot and heavy and traditionally it is a time when I pause from my daily gardening chores to sit or wander soaking in the loveliness and bounty all around me. The fairies are playful little sprites who always find time to play and be merry.

Being fair little beings their fairy skin is tender to the bright sunlight of an August summer day so they tend to the gardens now only at dawns early light or just before the sun sets and a soft gentle chill sets in.

 

 

 

 

 

By mid day most of the fairy folk head for the enchanted forest and bask in the shade. Those few who venture out to the gardens take parasols creating their own protective shade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delphinia and La Rosa soar through the kiwi arbor as Nightingale approaches  suggesting they return to the forest to wait until the sun sets lower on the horizon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A breeze picks up and Nightingale joins the other fairies frolicking beneath the shade of the kiwi arbor heavy with fruit. She  cheerfully sprinkles fairy dust everywhere she goes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delphinia is next as she glides to a landing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last is La Rosa with her wand all a glimmer.

 

 

 

 

 

“To the enchanted forest and the shade”,  she says. And so the fairies head to the forest and I am left alone in my garden with visions of fairy folk in my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deep within the heart of a garden

 

 

 

 

No matter how large or how small

 

 

 

 

 

A whole world flourishes; secrets abound and life pulses with color and vibrancy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Morning Glory greeted me in the greenhouse at the start of my day. Isn’t she spectacular?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across the aisle from Glory sat this lovely Fushia and her sweet heart, the most handsome Wax Begonia.

I said hello; then meandered about gathering my daily harvest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By days end I transformed my lush assortment of veggies into a tasty pot of vegetarian chili.

A very Fairy Fine Chili, the perfect way to end a very fine day.

 

 

Welcome to August, the hottest month of the year in Maine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children and Fairy Folk delight in these hot summer days. Our gardens for the time being require less attention as far as weeding goes and sprinklers take care of the necessary watering. Which leaves plenty of time for children and fairies to play in the gardens, meadows and woodlands of our farm. Of course, they still sprinkle fairy dust wherever they go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surprises around every corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Play, Dance, Sing and be Merry as any Summertime Fairy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poetry

Websters definition;

po-et-ry

noun

Literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.

The following excerpt from the poem Little Gidding was written in the year 1942 and is the fourth and final poem of T.S. Eliot’s, Four Quartets, a series of poems that discuss time, perspective, humanity, and salvation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Stearns Eliot won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948 and remains a highly distinguished poet, publisher, essayist, playwright and critic.

He was born in St. Louis Missouri in 1888.

 

Little Gidding by T.S. Eliot

Music; On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter

 

 

In August on the north side of a small mountain in Maine

Where the Elfswort blooms golden and 6 feet tall,

Home Place Fairy Folk dance the Midsummer Waltz of the Fairies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amid Scarlet Monarda, Red Astillbe; beneath Joe Pye Weed and Phlox, all shades of white and pinks of every hue, Fairy Folk whirl and twirl as they usher out the heat of summer and welcome the cooler temperatures of Autumn.

 

 

August is the hottest of months in Maine and tiny wonders abound this time of year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late in the afternoon as the sun reaches her rise, little fairy feet retreat from the gardens and greenhouse entering into the Enchanted Woodland for the cool comfort of shade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The smallest of the small are carried as Fairies march through the woodland to hidden chambers; resting during the hottest hours of each day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairies work long hours from twilight to dawn ripening the harvest which will be gathered by mortals during the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairy sweetened tomatoes, ripen in the greenhouse. Yum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking one last look around to see that all is as it should be,the last of the home Place Fairies flee for the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But do not worry they will be back again at twilight to work and play.

 

 

Within the heart of my garden there is a special place for just being and thinking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birds congregate with butterflies; Fairy Folk and a special child or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreams and secrets are shared here.

 

 

 

 

A place where for an hour or two you can be anything or anyone you dream your self to be.

You can even ask a bird how she sings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiny wonders, everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When  blueberry season arrives folks ask me for my fairy fine recipe for yummy Blueberry Yogurt Bars. As August approaches there are plenty of fresh blueberries to be had here in Maine.

Remember you can certainly use frozen berries if you do not have fresh and have the same results.

Mid July through August are the months for harvesting blueberries here on Blue Fairy Hill. The fields are bountiful with berries and glimmers of fairy dust attest to the hard working Fairy Folk who help to sweeten berries here on our farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberry fields or barrens as they are called, are covered with ripe fairy sweetened organic blueberries every other August much to everyone’s delight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends and neighbors gather together to harvest nature’s bounty of sweet satisfaction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low bush blueberries are rather small and very sweet tasting. They grow on rocky ledges in wide open spaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blueberries may be picked by hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or they are picked with large metal rakes like these children are using, which allows you to collect berries faster than when hand picking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

However you decide to harvest blueberries the important thing is that you enjoy the process and take in the beauty of nature all around you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Maine blueberries generally grow on high rocky land which offers you spectacular views while you pick.

 

 

 

 

 

I prefer picking berries by hand or using a small wooden blueberry rake which Sampson the Troll made for me over 40 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After these children gather containers full of blueberries they will take them home for their Mothers who will use them for baking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a recipe the Home Place Fairies shared with me. I hope you enjoy it as much as we all do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLUE FAIRY HILL YOGURT BARS

Preheat your oven to 350

Line a 9 x 13″ baking pan with aluminum foil.

Lightly spray foiled pan evenly with oil and set aside.

Next make a crumble for your bottom crust and topping as follows.

BOTTOM CRUST and CRUMBLE TOPPING

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar packed

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

pinch of salt

1. In large bowl whisk melted butter with sugars to combine.

2. Add flour, pinch of salt stir to combine. Mixture will be dry and crumbly. Set aside 3/4 cup of this mixture to use later as topping.

3. Transfer remaining mixture into oiled pan. With your fingers hand pack, pressing the mixture to create a thin, even, flat crust. Set aside.

YOGURT FILLING

1 large egg at room temperature

1/2 cup Greek  Yogurt at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. In medium bowl add egg and Greek Yogurt, sugar and vanilla. Whisk together well.

2. Add the Tablespoon of flour and whisk again.

3. Pour this yogurt filling evenly over the crust spreading with rubber spatula.

Set aside.

BLUEBERRY LAYER

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 handful finely chopped walnuts (optional)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds (optional)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. In separate bowl toss in blueberries, sprinkle with the sugar and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and gently mix to combine.

2. Evenly spread blueberry mixture on top of yogurt filling. (Then if you choose toss on some chopped walnuts and sunflower seeds. (Fairies love seeds and nuts and so do I)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Next take your reserved 3/4 cup of the crumble/crust mix and evenly sprinkle on top. Gently squeeze the crumbs through your fingers as you spread over filling. I sprinkle some fresh blueberries on the crust.

4. Place pan on middle rack in preheated 350 oven and bake for about 40 minute for fresh berries and 50 minutes for frozen blueberries. Baking is complete when crust has turned a nice golden brown and berries have bubbled.

5. Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack and let cool completely. Then set pan in fridge to cool firmly before cutting into bars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. After cooling in the fridge for about 30 minutes I lift the foiled dessert in it’s entirety from the pan and carefully remove the foil from the large “blueberry bar” and set dessert on cutting board and cut into small bars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Now you can cut the bars into small pieces without them crumbling and falling apart.

Blueberry Yogurt Bars may be stored in your refrigerator for up to 10 days, though they don’t last that long in our house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve your Blue Berry Yogurt Bars plain and simple or with some fresh blueberries and a sprig of mint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They also taste good with a dab of whipped cream, or scoop of ice cream. Oh, if you happen to know some Fairy Folk like I happen to you can even add a dash of Fairy Dust! Yum, magically delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

August is a month of great beauty in my garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some images taken right before dusk, a time when birds nest in for the evening; when butterflies stop fluttering and our honeybees have returned to their hives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the quiet morning hours, or right before dusk, I like to sit or meander about in my garden, soaking in the sounds and natural beauty abundant all around me. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When darkness falls the fairies are snug and cozy in their chambers relaxing after their busy day spent tending vegetables, flowers, herbs and seeds. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come twilight they will sing and dance among the flowers with the wildlings, not to work but to play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every garden is a paradise, a source of beauty, harvest and inspiration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where gardens grow fairies reside.