Wealden Times | WT233 | October 2021 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Garden
Choose a dry day for the expedition, as damp seed heads
will become mouldy – or possibly even start to germinate.
Store your pickings in a dry place – and away from mice
and other creatures looking for a quick snack. Out in the
countryside there are alder cones, acorns and the vibrant
berries of spindles. Skeletal remains of umbelliferous
plants like wild carrot and giant hogweed can look
really attractive too – be careful about using hogweed
though as it is poisonous, non-native and invasive.
Berries and fruits should be collected just before you
need them, but I have more or less stopped picking them
from the wild – I like to leave them for the birds and
tend to pick things from the garden like Cotoneaster
or Pyracantha berries (and even use cranberries from
the supermarket for last minute embellishments).
You will find other rich pickings in your own garden
too. Hydrangea flower heads (bracts) will last for a
long time once picked, rose hips, seed heads of alliums,
poppies and love-in-the-mist and the skeletons of
fennel and angelica make perfect natural decorations
and will last throughout the winter.
Collecting wild ingredients is a satisfying activity
– sending us back to simpler days and
connecting us with the seasons, but
even going out and just looking at
the beauty of the countryside in all its
autumn glory will be worth basketfuls.
For details of Jo’s gardening courses
visit hornbrookmanor.co.uk or
contact Jo on 01233 861149
117 priceless-magazines.com
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