Mellow Fruitfulness

Autumn has arrived. Chilly mornings and hedgerows bursting with mellow fruitfulness.  Nature has bestowed a rich harvest for humans and wildlife alike.

The bushes are laden with berries and fruits, the brambles bear flowers and a rich palette of berries from the palest green to deepest black.  There are sloes and elderberries for gin and wine and blackberries for crumbles and pies.

I caught a few minutes of an interview on local radio yesterday about foraging and how much free food there is to be found in the hedges and ditches.  Not just berries and fruits, but dandelions and nettles which can be used in salads, teas or soups.  

We seem to have lost our knowledge of the wild harvest which can be gathered on our doorsteps. 

Aside from the obvious blackberries and field mushrooms, I know I would be loathe to cook anything else growing outside of the garden for fear of poisoning the family even though we may be missing out on some free delights. 

When September Comes

There's a crispness in the air that says we are on the cusp of a new season. The fields are busy, the harvesters are humming, the swooping swallows are stocking up for their long journey, and evening comes surprisingly quickly.

We've been blessed with warm sunny days which have allowed farmers to save their crops.  The race is on to harvest the grain, the potatoes, the carrots.  Tractors and combines take to the highways and byways.

The flowers of the hedgerows give way to autumn's harvest of hips and haws and and berries.