The Green Man

It took me over two years to transform a farmhouse with rich connections to nature and the past into a modern B&B. As an ancient motif for nature and transformation, the Green Man seemed a fitting symbol for this effort.

The symbol itself dates back to the Greeks and has always represented growth, renewal, and our deep connection to the natural world. Over the millennia, it has transformed itself from a pagan representation of the seasons to an image that can be found in the sacred precincts of medieval cathedrals and churches all over Europe and the British Isles. The beautiful Green Man above resides on a boss in the cloisters at Norwich Cathedral in England and shows a face changing imperceptibly into hawthorn leaves.

Today the Green Man is transforming himself once again, appearing in garden sculpture, paintings, jewelry, stained glass, note-cards, and the business card for our B&B (below). In the midst of unprecedented technological change, his return is a welcome reminder of the importance of nature in our lives.

(Image used by kind permission of Ron Hammond: http://www.ronfstop.com/)