(My white greenhouse and blooming “Shropshire Lad” David Austin Rose)

My Shropshire Healing Garden
A Living Sanctuary

A healing sanctuary of deep listening, wild roses, and peace in the heart of South Shropshire.

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”The kiss of the sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.” - Dorothy Gurney

Eleven years of wood-smoke, scented roses, and the wild of Wenlock Edge.

The Root-Stock: A Story of Fire and Rose Petals11 years ago, on a sunlit spring March morning 2015, I arrived here somewhat unexpectedly following a house fire a month or so earlier in my thatched National Trust cottage in Atcham, Shrewsbury.Moving in an unexpected and unplanned manner from the busy hubbub of Attingham Park, where I loved to wander the wonderful deer park with its quiet nooks and crannies to the deep quiet hum of the woods of Wenlock Edge was a transition that began in necessity but gradually blossomed into my soul-calling.I had already shivered through a freezing cold month in a house with just a tarpaulin on the roof.With a gaping hole in the roof and no working heating after the fire, staying was no longer an option.I simply needed a proper roof over my head and a hearth to sit in front of to thaw out.I was exhausted, stressed out and cold to the bone. Then, a completely unplanned move on top of that to a different area on that March day; I was still reeling from the shock of it all.Arriving in a large van with a group of kind friends to help me to this wild yet isolated place began as an essential refuge that soon led to a deep love affair with the soul or “spirit” of this sacred land.The remoteness took me time to get used to. I was very lonely at first; I missed the hustle and bustle of my old home and popping next door to the local hotel for al-fresco lunch, or to Attingham Park across the road for a walk and coffee and cake but after a while, the isolation began to settle in my bones.Luckily growing up in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons in Wales -Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, I am used to wild landscapes. Though the Shropshire hills are much more of a polite sister to the majestic Welsh mountains I am used to, I began to walk the ancient land here and to build a relationship with its birds and trees and hidden places.*** I had always loved the sacred, wildflowers and trees in Wales, I spent most of days outside wandering the river banks and climbing trees, riding my bike along the promenade with my dogs Dusty and Chip gaily running alongside me.***Now, I must tell you caveat this is not a "prim and proper” place at all.It is a living wild sanctuary and cottage where I planted David Austin roses to scramble freely high into the trees and amongst the native, bee-laden, sweet-scented honeysuckle.
Butterflies, song birds and bumble bees are my main “guests” here these days, but they seem to enjoy their visits to feast on natural pollinator-friendly plants that I have purposely left for their needs.I fell in love with the spirit and “ roots” of this land even through its challenges: the knee-high cold fog that hugs the ground for days during winter, the “dark-dark” from the absence of street lights, and the profound, beautiful remoteness of these hills and the vast Wenlock Edge woodland.I created this Book of Days, because I wanted to document the soul of this place for myself, and also to give you the opportunity to rest and breathe for a few moments as you read.Yes, there is a modest quarry worker's cottage here too, simply built of stone and rubble as it is described, but more of that later.My hope is that this page might inspire you, or perhaps even offer you a moment of rest in this busy world we all share.Being a romantic at heart, I always feel we are strangers only once; we are often kindred spirits through our shared love of nature and the mystery of the unseen.Wherever you are in the world, I am so glad that you are here and have stopped by for a visit to my corner of the world, albeit digitally.With blessings and grace,JulieDo wander, and if you would like, feel free to sign the guestbook and leave a message of what brought you here today.

My old business was named (Mother) Mary’s Healing Sanctuary Garden, hence the name in the video. Everyone kept calling me Mary😀 so I changed it!

My ministry

(Carding Mill Valley, Church Stretton - Highly recommended if you are ever in the area)

A Quiet Anchor in the Shropshire Hills

This wild land is more than a home; it is the sacred backdrop for my ministry, where nature and spirit meet without the need for walls.As I mentioned, I am an ordained Interfaith (multi-faith) Minister.Since 2007, I have offered an inclusive sanctuary of deep listening, ceremony, and prayer for those seeking to enjoy their faith in a nature-based environment, or perhaps without the confines of traditional religion.I work with people seeking a deeper connection to good, regardless of personal faith or background. If you are interested in this side of my work, you can read more about it here:

• My Ministry Website Here

A LIVING LEGACY: FROM ATCHAM TO Wenlock EDGE

(Sunrise in summer in my healing garden)

Following the fire in 2015, this land became my sanctuary. What was once a wild, grass and bramble plot has been lovingly nurtured over the last decade into a healing garden sanctuary and place for my work.It is a story written in the soil of finding a new "hearth" and watching a garden grow from the ashes of the old.I have invested over a decade of my life, my resources, and my heart into “this healing place”.

• Say hello in my guestbook

Fur and feather

Animal friends

A garden is never truly quiet when shared with our animal friends.From the birds nesting and singing in the trees to the pets that have shared this hearth with me over the years, they are an integral part of life here.They remind me of the simple joy we experience of the sacred connection we share with all living creatures.

(Maple on the left and Blossom, looking very serious as breakfast is late). ☺️

A little whimsical clip of fur and feather, cameo of Willow the cat and Primrose the chicken (RIP Primrose).

MY DAVID AUSTIN ROSE garden

Pink and Myrrh Scented

I have filled my Shropshire garden with these beloved David Austin roses over the years, many arriving as gifts from family and dear friends.Most are climbers my favourite for their repeated flowering ability.They are allowed to scramble freely, climbing high into the trees and mingling with the native honeysuckle.They represent the "wild sanctuary" I have cultivated as a blend of intentional beauty and natural freedom. I have deliberately left large areas for the pollinators.See The Rose Ledger: Over a decade of Botanical History.

• Click For The Rose Ledger

My Cottage

Some of you wanted to see the cottage.

Weekly Quiet Reflection

Weekly Blessings, Prayers & Miracles

you might like to join us for our online Weekly Prayers, Blessings and Miracles.Please sign the guestbook below to receive the latest calendar of gatherings.