Friday Flowers Club #25~Beyond the Hawthorn Blossom

Hello Friends.

‘And beyond the hawthorn blossom and a pasture scene

The broadback figure drest in blue and green

Enchanted the maytime with an antique flute’

T S Eliot

How quickly we have arrived at a seminal moment in the wheel of the year; Beltane. The May Day festival situated roughly halfway between the Spring Equinox and the June Solstice and traditionally, at least from a folklore perspective, the starting point of Summer. We made it.

The term ‘Beltane’ is of Gaelic origin but we can look to Calan Mai, May Day, Walpurgis, Arminden, Los Mayos or countless other names to see that this festival is celebrated right across Europe and North America. And whilst the names and some of the rituals may differ there are still common threads woven into the fabric of May Day celebrations that unite us all; the gathering of wildflowers, the weaving of floral garlands, the crowning of a May Queen, the burning of a bonfire, the notion of a May tree, bough or bush, the latter of which preceded and gave rise to the May ‘Pole’ that we see today.

There is a global diaspora of decorating a May Bush, in particular something with thorns. Hawthorn and Gorse are traditionally central to this, the idea of a thorn bush being a sacred thing and a throwback to Tree-Worship. Appeasing the 'Aos Si' was very important in early Gaelic celebrations, and adorning a Hawthorn with ribbons and flowers was one way to do this. Of course, these bushes tie in with the white and yellow flowers traditionally associated with Beltane. Similarly Hazel, Primrose, Marigold; all were and are used to adorn doorways and windows, or made into bouquets, wreaths and garlands. And these aesthetics will form the basis of this week’s Friday Flowers as we welcome Summer with some bright May Day Posies.

Usual channels for ordering nicola@nicolagreenbotanica.com or 07714025618 to join my Friday Flowers Club WhatsApp group.

Have a lovely week and as always, “Bringing the Outdoors In”.

Thank you.

Nicola