Spring Time

Preparing the land

Spring is here with all it´s beauty. Birds are singing their wonderful tunes. Days are getting longer. Plants and trees are growing, flowers of different colours and smells are everywhere.


It´s also the time to get plants in the ground so they will be well established before the intensive summer sun comes. 


Some of the tasks in the last weeks were to prepare the ground, sowing seeds and planting seedlings, building a hügelkultur bed and setting up the irrigation system.


to read more see below

Caring for Trees

One of our goals is to care for the Land, and taking care of Trees is part of this big task. Last week the weather allowed us to prune our fruit and olive trees. Barbara explained us some general rules and we watched her in action but as each tree is different only practice can really train us in the art of pruning. We started by training with Oaks and Ash and then moved on to the Pears, Apricots, Apples, Olives and finally Orange trees.

 

Pruning Trees is good for them and gives us loads of organic material for the garden, huegelkultur beds and poles for the fences.
















 To see more pictures click below

Spring Silent re-Treats

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Invitation to all NATURE LOVERS

Want to come and experience communal silence with us?

 

We are opening the Mount of Oaks for special retreats into silence and simplicity this Spring.

 

 

16-20th April

 

14-18th May

 

18-22nd June

 

 

 For more details about the first of our retreats see below.....

Spring Clean

What is it about this time of year that has us itching to clean? To get all out of the cupboards and sort things out? To weed and clear paths, prepare ground for seeds? Perhaps it's the lengthening of days, the delightful bird song and smell of fruit trees in flower that awakens us I suppose.....

......on the Spring Equinox enjoy this picture packed post on the events of the life at the Mount of Oaks and beyond in the last few weeks. 

Here we are!

Hello dear Mount of Oaks friends, visitors, supporters and curious people! My name is Márcia Luz and I am living here now. I have been involved in the Mount of Oaks project since the beginning, as I am Bárbara's friend. I had visited the land a couple of times before I decided to move here in 2008. I lived here for 9 months before traveling to Mexico. Since then I traveled in Latin America, North America and Europe. I have been involved in social and environmental projects but I had the desire to live again in community and not just with other people. Coming back to Mount of Oaks was in a way easy, as I know the place and the lovely people, but in other ways it feels like a new adventure.

(Click below to read more of this exciting post)

Seasons change...All change!

Since the last post in JULY?! lots of change has made us grow, grieve, laugh, dance and be grateful....

 

 

Some changes we have been really excited about, others were difficult to handle. 

 

This is life, isn't it? Periods of highs, lows and something in between....our mission if you can call it is to remain faithful to the gentle steps of daily life - caring for ourselves, those around us, the animals, plants and trees.

 

We are looking at 2014 with optimism and open arms - especially as we have grown from 2 'two-leggeds' living at the Mount of Oaks to 4! WELCOME Marcia and Eric!

 

Read on for a brief summary of the news and see a few pictures.

Fruits of the last month....

Lovely Lengthening Days and fruits of our labour.....

In the lead up to Midsummer’s Day, the Solstice and São Joao we again found ourselves happily busy. 

 

These last weeks found us celebrating the puppies 3 month birthday, the arrival of 2 female kittens from Simba

 

 

......the reunion of the Northern Irish crew in the form of Kevin and Naomi from Face to Face days, surprise visits from Germany (Arnt and Miriam) and Duruxa (Carly and James) and help from Gabrielle and Jordan (WWOOFers from USA) and more recently, Samuel from France and Sara from Holland.

Read on to see the pictures and some
-->anecdotes from life on the land at the Mount of Oaks. Most events are in a chronological order.