Peacocks on Posies

Mindful creativity for the summer heat

Photo by Russell Moore on Unsplash

It’s a scorcher!

Oh it has been so hot in my part of the world. The UK is currently in its third heatwave of the year, and this weekend temperatures will keep on rising. Phew! It is time to head for shade. Now, I do not want to appear ungrateful for all that lovely Vitamin D we get to produce when we are exposed to sunlight. I don’t want to take anything away from the abundance of colourful beauty we witness in the hotter months. I am not saying that the heat doesn’t comes with a certain amount of liberation from coats, gloves, scarves and such like.

What I will say, is that summer brings some challenges for me. With pale skin, freckles that join up in the summer constituting my own style of tan and allergies to pollen, factor 50 suncream and antihistamines become my best friends. As soon as I am exposed to the sun, I can feel the burn and I am instantly pressed into the shadows, a second too long and I feel like I am melting like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.

So, armed with sunglasses, a large hat, plenty of water, a fan and if it is really hot a bowl of cold water for my toes, I take myself off to the bottom of my garden to within the shade of my mature Horse Chestnut tree. Its canopy bears leaves that are as big as a head and apart from the odd baby conker falling before its treasure is ready, it is a haven of comfort that helps me to dream and create which are two of my favourite pastimes.

The wildlife in my garden doesn’t mind me being there. The squirrel scurries up and down the tree, looking for the food I usually deliver there for the birds. I go and fetch some. The blackbird then joins, tilting his head to one side, weighing up the the delights that have just been delivered with the daring to get close enough to reach it. He always braves it in the end.

Mindful creativity soothes the soul

One thing I always like to do before I settle down to write is that I start to gather a collection of flowers from my garden for my tiny blue and white jug that I place in the centre of the table. I spend a few mindful moments arranging the blooms and inspecting them in detail. Usually before I have finished a hoverfly has come to inspect my efforts and to pinch some nectar from the contents. The gathering and placing of the flowers in the little jug brings me peace and contentment, a sense of connection to the garden to remind me that life does not have to be fast paced and can be very beautiful.

The very first time I did this a peacock butterfly landed on the arrangement. This is my favourite butterfly and I couldn’t believe my eyes as it spent maybe two minutes inspecting the insides of each flower. Fortunately I had my phone camera to capture the moment. What a treat.

Real life sightings

I vividly remember seeing my first peacock butterfly on a buddleia bush flower spike in a garden backing onto York City’s ancient Walls. I was twenty three years old and up until then I had only seen them in books. (I once meticulously drew one whilst in my school library aged about eight when I should have been tidying book shelves - I got told off!). So to see one in real life was just amazing and still is for me when I see one to date. I have made it my mission to always have butterfly friendly plants in my garden and food for their young which, for a peacock, happens to be stinging nettles.

Peacock caterpillar covered in silver stars and black spikes, awesome!

According to the Woodland Trust, peacock butterflies:

• love dandelions, thistles and teasels

• they lay around 500 eggs, in May, on nettle leaves

• they hibernate in sheds and holes in trees

• they are very dark under their wings which camouflage them as dead leaves

• they are not under threat in the UK

• they start to emerge in July. I saw my first one yesterday

So although summer brings me quite a few challenges, there are many delights to celebrate too. Whilst sitting underneath my Horse Chestnut tree I noticed the leaves beginning to brown. Autumn is close by, let us relish what is left of this season and take note of the abundance of nature it offers. Take care in this heat.

I am curious:

Do you have a favourite butterfly?

What mindful creativity activities do you like to do?

Are you a shade stalker or a sun worshipper?

What is your favourite season?