Larder Love

Easy real food recipes and preserves from the heart of the home

  • HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • MY BOOKS
  • MY RECIPES
  • RESOURCES
  • CHAT
    • Travel
  • WRITING
  • CONTACT

A WILLOWS TALE

By Karon Grieve 1 Comment

WillowHerb

Fourteen years ago I moved into this little corner of the world with  Eric (ex-husband) and we marveled at how pretty it all was.

The garden and fields were full of willow herb and it was in full bloom. Just like the photo above, gorgeous colour and a profusion of pretty flowers standing tall, and well EVERYWHERE. The cottage had been a rental for a few years before we bought it and the garden had gone a tad wild.

WillowHerb2

From our original 'ah, how pretty' observations on the willow herb, we eventually grew to hate the stuff. Boy was it difficult to shift. There was just so much of it too.Anyway, eventually we freed ourselves from its clutches and reclaimed the garden.

Willow herb grows wild all over this area. The lanes are full of it all summer. This year I photographed it as I was running past. I grew to appreciate it for a beauty in its own right. Not just as a towering strength of purple flowers so glorious in their massed splendor, almost like an army in their straight form and closed ranks.

WillowHerbSept

No, it was in its changes that I found most beauty and interest. Yes, those purple flowers were showy and definitely eye-candy, but as the summer wore on the willow herb changed her dress and got softer and more approachable as she aged. She went from beautiful but hard, to soft, faded but  touchable.

WillowHerb3

By the end of the season all her foliage fell. From riotous purple, to fluffy snowy softness, now there was just the bare bones on show. No longer a display, no more a flower in any form.

Now a shape. Her comrades may have fallen around her feet, there may be less of her type standing, only one in ten has made it through the year. But see her stand proud in her naked splendor (Gok would be proud of her!), see the shape of those delicate yet iron strong bones. She is still there, she is still a beauty, only now she is pared down, she if different and yet the same. It is still her, these are her bones, she just had different coverings on show throughout her lifetime. Now she stands tall in her own right, in herself.It's those bones inside that count.

Karon x

Related posts:

The inside story
Gorgeous Giveaway
Remembering Dad
A Wee Dream
Share some Larder Love...Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

Filed Under: CHAT Tagged With: gok wan, purple, willow herb

« FESTIVE FRUIT
GET KNOTTED »




Brave
Movember
The Toe Times
Get So Easy Herbal FREE!

Comments

  1. Sue says

    November 17, 2009 at 10:24 am

    It’s always what hidden in the depths that is what is most important. It just takes us more time to see it, but when we do it’s oh so special and well worth the effort.
    Sue xx

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Karon Grieve

MY BOOKS

Karon Grieve books
Visit Us On PinterestVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On Instagram

Categories

SEARCH MY SITE

Popular Posts

  • Easy Vegetarian Moussaka Easy Vegetarian Moussaka
  • How To Make Blackberry And Apple Gin How To Make Blackberry And Apple Gin
  • Pear Liqueur Pear Liqueur
  • Raita Dip Raita Dip
  • How To Make Your Own Clove Oil For Toothache How To Make Your Own Clove Oil For Toothache
 [Your name] 's gallery on Punk Domestics
my foodgawker gallery
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Hi, I’m Karon Grieve welcome to my world, a little patch of the Scottish countryside where I live with my gorgeous daughter Idgy and lots of animals. I’m a cook, crafter, writer and photographer and I’ve come to realise that my true interest lies in what I think of as the real heart of the home, the larder. Read More…

Popular Posts

snoozie smoothie
Greek roast chicken with coffee
A Passion for pesto by Karon Grieve
coconut curd
salmon fishcakes
millionaires shortbread

Copyright Karon Grieve - Larder Love © 2013. All Rights Reserved.