Full Flower Moon Wishes - Today's Task For All!

Hello Everyone!

I've got lots of posts for you today, but here is your task.
Send me a wish in the comments below for me to sow with your velvet queen red Snape sundflower seed & find some hawthorn blossom to identify, these links will help you find hawthorn, you could pick some or make a crown (copy and paste links)
- https://treegrowing.tcv.org.uk/identify/hawthorn
- https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hawthorn/

Today is a beautiful full moon, this one is known as the flower moon.
If you'd like to know more about it, here's some great info and there's even a short video which tells you the best time to go fishing!
https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-may

We've just had the 1st May which was Beltane or May Day - it's an ancient Celtic celebration of fertility and life and traditionally marks the first day of summer. Have you noticed all the beautiful Hawthorn blossoms out in the hedges at the  moment? Please go and find some, can you identify it? I love hawthorn trees, they're one of my favourite, traditionally they were known as the gateway to the fairy kingdom! Do you remember we have a beautiful one at school next to the pitch? Traditionally people would make crowns decorated with Hawthorn blossoms, (maybe you'd like to have a go!?) villagers would dance around a May pole with ribbons and celebrate and give thanks for life and nature. They'd make bonfires to bless and protect them and their livestock and crops over the coming year of growth. Here's some info if you'd like to know more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltane

This full moon is also all about celebrating the fertile soil, flowers, nectar and brings peace and joy to us all. It is an opportunity to think about what things you can do to bring peace and goodness into your life. What will you do? Let me know.
Do you remember last year you all planted a sunflower seed and made a wish?
Well this year, before lockdown, I found some special sunfolwers called Velvet Queen, I thought they'd be perfect for all you snape superstars as they're red like your uniform instead of yellow! Seeing as you can't be here in person to sow them yourselves I wanted to invite you all to send me your wishes that you'd like go with your sunflowers and I'll sow them for you :-) I thought this full flower moon was the perfect day to celebrate and do this if you'd like to. Please send your wishes in the comments below. I look forward to hearing them. Let me know also about anything else you make or do.
I've got lots to do in the school garden today! Do you remember that full moon an especially good time for sowing seeds and planting because the pull of the moon draws the water closer to the surface of the soil.
Here's a picture of the beautiful Velvet Queen! Send me your wishes and I'll sow the seeds :-)

Here is an old artwork from the V&A collections of children dancing around a May Pole with ribbons, do you want to make one with a stick and have a go!?

Below is a photo of lovely hawthorn blossom from the woodland trust to help you find some. This image is very close up, the flowers are small, in clusters on the branches both in hedges and on bigger trees. What insects do you see foraging the nectar? Are you going to pick some and put it in a vase or make a crown? Any other ideas? You can eat the young leaves in salad or for what's traditionally known as 'poor man's sandwiches' which is a funny name! They taste nice when they're new but get bitter and more leathery as they get older. Remember to be absolutely certain and check with a parent before trying, maybe you can pick some for a salad and sprinkle the flowers on top. Hawthorn berries are also used as a herbal remedy for the heart and you can collect them and make fruit leathers with rosehips for a healthy snack full of vitimin C.

(Other Image credits: flowermoon; www.higherperspectives.com,
sunflower www.organiccatalogue.com, maypole: https://collections.vam.ac.uk)