A most welcome Spring.
The Blackthorn Bloom is coming…This year, more than most, Spring signifies a new dawn and an end to a relentless winter.
Each year the explosion of white flowers from the seemingly barren Blackthorn tree heralds the beginning of Spring.
In Ireland, the Blackthorn has been considered a special tree for millennia. It is the bearer of good news, of hope. It says hang on, Spring is coming. It says hang on, there’s something special just around the corner. The Blackthorn stands apart from other trees, it doesn’t wait for others to lead the way, it goes it alone. In the worst of weather, amidst hail, sleet, and snow it says I’ve had enough, this is my time. It declares spring is sprung.
In Irish folklore, the Blackthorn is considered a special tree and is often referred to as the fairy tree. As a child, I was always told not to pick its flowers or break its branches for fear of fairy retaliation. If you messed with a fairy tree I was told that the fairies might put thorns in your bed or worse. Bringing beautiful branches in full flower into the home to admire wasn’t an option.
We’ve long admired the Blackthorn tree and its beautiful white flower bloom in early Spring. We created the ‘Spring Blackthorn Tray’ as a way of honouring this beautiful tree. Made in a very environmentally friendly way using only FSC certified plywood, water-based glue. And without using water or solvents in the making.
The Blackthorn and its flowers have long been a sign of overcoming and in these difficult times, we believe it is the perfect symbol of hope.
“In the worst of weather, amidst hail, sleet, and snow, it says I’ve had enough, this is my time. It declares spring is sprung.”
The Spring Blackthorn Tray.
We created the “Spring Blackthorn Tray’ so that the beautiful Blackthorn flowers can be admired indoors without fear of upsetting the fairies. Spring is coming so now is a perfect time to invite early Spring into your home.
Notes:
‘One summer evening there was a man walking up the hill and he saw a blackthorn tree. It was a very nice-looking tree….
The National Folklore Collection of Ireland is a rich archive of oral folk stories, in both Irish and English languages, gathered by the Irish Folklore Commission. The collection is recognized as one of the largest collections of its kind in Western Europe and a record of Ireland’s rich oral storytelling tradition. It is all readily accessible online.
Enjoy a wonderful folk story about the Blackthorn Tree from Clifden, Co. Galway here.