JULY MUSINGS
Seasonal stories and notable happenings from the team behind Ochre Botanical Studios.
Thank you for joining us here!
It has felt difficult to know what to write this month.
Usually, these musings are filled with the small joys we’ve noticed in the garden, the flowers we’ve been admiring, weddings, or the changing of the seasons, but this month, my thoughts have been for my home: the Cairngorms.
The wildfires in the Cairngorms have weighed heavily on my heart. Friends and family have been out on the hills, spending long days and nights helping to fight the fires, coming home exhausted before heading back out again. It’s easy to feel helpless and it’s hard to feel excited about flowers when the land around your home burns.
One of my favourite walks is pictured below – a path I’ve been walking since I was 10 years old. The ancient pine trail leading to Lochan Uaine is one of the most beautiful woodland trails I know. Sadly, the fires have left much of it blackened and badly damaged.
The Cairngorms have always been a place of solace for me. I ventured up here every year as a kid with my dad and sister. We would stay in Nethy Bridge which just the other day was evacuated. They hold ancient woodlands, rare wildlife, delicate ecosystems and landscapes that have taken thousands of years to become what they are. They remind us that nature is both resilient and incredibly fragile.
We don’t yet know what caused these fires, but we do know that so many wildfires are started by human activity. Whether through carelessness or accident, the consequences can be devastating, not just for the landscapes themselves but for the countless plants, animals and people who call them home.
Working with flowers has only deepened my respect for the natural world. Every stem we cut, every seed we sow and every season reminds us that nature asks for patience. Growth cannot be rushed. Restoration takes time. What can disappear in hours may take decades to return.
Perhaps that’s what I’ve been thinking about most this month: stewardship. The quiet responsibility we all share to tread gently, to leave places better than we found them, and to remember that these landscapes aren’t simply somewhere beautiful to visit, but living, breathing homes for so much life. Maybe this month is a reminder that our relationship with the land has to be reciprocal. Alongside appreciation must come care, respect and protection.
If you’re heading out into the hills or countryside this summer, wherever you are, I hope you’ll take a moment to notice the wild places around you. Stay on the paths where you’re asked to, take your litter home, think carefully before lighting anything outdoors and leave nothing behind but footprints, and take home only memories. These small acts matter more than we sometimes realise.
Holding the Cairngorms, and everyone working so hard to protect them, in our thoughts this month.
All images are by either myself, Sarah or Marion of joyous times spent in the area. I find the images of the damages a little too devastating, so thought it would be nice to select a few beautiful images instead.
Until next time...
