On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me … ten tastes of nature

There are so many ways we can enjoy the natural world, even on a bleak winter’s day: a brisk walk on a crisp frosty morning can be so enlivening. But even inside we can enjoy the crispness of a ripe apple, or the bloom of a Christmas amaryllis bulb.

If you’re lucky enough to have one close by a riverside walk, or admiring the various shrubs and flowers in neighbours gardens, as you walk to train or bus stop on our daily commute, listening to the birds as you do so.

A love of nature is an inspiration that can never die. Whether a simple, easy to keep pot plant (a spider plant or aloe vera for example), or the nuts and seeds we may snack on. Being mindful of such constant examples of the amazingness of nature, can be an antidote even to today’s challenged world.

Follow me for the next verse, tomorrow.