I've been enjoying the "Ogham Tree Alphabet Calendar" in Niall Mac Coitir's great book, "Irish Trees, Myths, Legends and Folklore". I was away with a young German friend this summer (whose mother is Irish), she asked me what was her "Birthday Tree" because she had seen something about it online. This is the best I can find, Carleen!
It gave me the idea of looking at a tree a month in school, why not! So to kick off the school year we are looking at them in the following order;
Hazel 8 Aug - 4 Sept
Apple 5 Sept - 2 Oct
Elder 3 Oct - 30th Oct
Yew 1 Nov - 28 Nov
Scots Pine 29 Nov - 26 Dec
Birch 27 Dec - 23 Jan (Downy and Silver)
Rowan 24 Jan - 20 Feb
Alder 21 Feb - 20 Mar
Willow 21 Mar - 17 April (Bay, Eared, Goat, Grey...)
Hawthorn 18 April - 15 May
Ash 16 May - 12 June
Oak 13 June - 10 July (Sessile and Pedunculate)
Holly 11 July - 7 Aug; Well since we aspire to be on holidays at this time we may just bump that back to Christmas time, why don't we? So we have left out a few of the Irish Natives, let me see; Aspen. Blackthorn, Bird and Wild Cherry, Guelder Rose. Juniper. Spindle, Strawberry Tree. There are 4 Willows. Whitebeam and Wych Elm. That's 28. Hmm an extra 10, when will we study them? We could add one a month and leave out July and August? Or leave them until NEXT YEAR! All ideas entertained!
It gave me the idea of looking at a tree a month in school, why not! So to kick off the school year we are looking at them in the following order;
Hazel 8 Aug - 4 Sept
Apple 5 Sept - 2 Oct
Elder 3 Oct - 30th Oct
Yew 1 Nov - 28 Nov
Scots Pine 29 Nov - 26 Dec
Birch 27 Dec - 23 Jan (Downy and Silver)
Rowan 24 Jan - 20 Feb
Alder 21 Feb - 20 Mar
Willow 21 Mar - 17 April (Bay, Eared, Goat, Grey...)
Hawthorn 18 April - 15 May
Ash 16 May - 12 June
Oak 13 June - 10 July (Sessile and Pedunculate)
Holly 11 July - 7 Aug; Well since we aspire to be on holidays at this time we may just bump that back to Christmas time, why don't we? So we have left out a few of the Irish Natives, let me see; Aspen. Blackthorn, Bird and Wild Cherry, Guelder Rose. Juniper. Spindle, Strawberry Tree. There are 4 Willows. Whitebeam and Wych Elm. That's 28. Hmm an extra 10, when will we study them? We could add one a month and leave out July and August? Or leave them until NEXT YEAR! All ideas entertained!