Provender Hedgerows with Autumn Colours

This year the weather has just been just right for the hedgerows, fruit and nut trees to flourish: and it shows – Spring was lovely, so the fruit could set; July gave us rain so those sets could swell, the late Summer has been dry to allow the fruits, nuts and hips to ripen to their best ready for picking, pickling, preserving, drying or just plain guzzling.

Japanese Maple, Westonbirt Arboretum

What is going to happen in the next few months? Freezing weather with loads of snow – that some countries (the eastern parts of Europe and the States) have already had this year? Soaking rains dredging the land with heavy drops bringing the possibility of floods? Or just sheer damp and greyness as we had for much of last winter, with large dumps of unexpected snow?

The mass of shrubs are weighted down with berries, hips, nuts all bursting out from the practically hidden foliage: bright red, yellow, orange, nutty brown sheaves, black or purple fruits exposing their benefice to all who need – the foraging birds, tiny rodents, small mammals, insects and of course, us humans, all content to stock up, maximise and store this free larder.

The wildlife inhabiting the hedgerows are in heaven, the migrating birds and insects can stock up, regain their energies to survive the coming winter; we can stock our larders with jams, syrups, jellies, liqueurs for use during the long dark evenings ahead.


The lazy tea times with perhaps blackberry (as right) jam topping the oozing buttered crumpet beneath; the rowan berries mixed with crab apples to make a bright red, smoky aroma jelly going so well with the mountain meats – the game, venison and mutton, or perhaps a sloe gin for a pre dinner slurp, with a wild pear liqueur to finish off the evening.


Blackthorn - Sloe


We’ve been using the hedgerows as our larder for thousands of years, eating the fruits as they ripen, pickling with vinegar (Egyptian urns dating from 3,000 BC with traces of vinegar have been found) , salting or brining our foods for overwintering, much as wildlife does now, or when fighting, travelling or exploring, (when it was more important to eat, than worry about salt) and as our knowledge improved, new foods such as sugar were found and became commonplace (adding to the natural sugars in fruits and the not so prolific supplies of honey).


In times of hardship – after the war .. I remember pickled eggs (granted not in the hedgerows – but no doubt could be used for duck eggs too), pickled walnuts, fruits, jellies preserved in kilner jars all abounded in our house; now the lanes and fields are filled with foragers benefitting from this edible profusion.

What will they make in these days of the 21st century – no doubt the bright coloured jellies and jams to stir our hearts, but also the flavoured vinegars and sugars utilising the herbal recipes of times gone by – perhaps a rosehip syrup from the dog-rose, a rich damson syrup cordial instead of the manufactured sort, or more appropriate for today: elderberries turned into a flu-preventing syrup.

The hedge – these massed shrubs congregating together forming boundaries to our fields, woodlands, or gardens – perhaps self-seeded centuries ago, still proliferating providing us with a bountiful display of autumn coloured riot.

This time of year is so special when walking through the country lanes – the vistas are so magnificent, the fallen leaves providing an amazing glowing golden walk, the swishing of the leaves on boots, the earthy woody smell rising up assaulting the nostrils, the coloured leaves on shrubs and trees.

The tapestry of colours – golds, russets, rouges, reds, translucent amber – all melding together interspersed with the remaining greens, the nutty browns, the dark browns of chestnuts, the dark grey trunks of trees rising above the canopy of the glorious abundances.


Over 30 years ago this month I came to New York for a friend’s wedding up at the Cathedral of the Pines church in (probably) Vermont; we have wonderful colouring in England and I’m sure there are such wonderful visions here too – but the colours at that time overwhelmed me with their profusion: the land is so much larger than our tiny island.


Female Holly branch with berries

Now here we have the glorious colours of the Canadian and Japanese Maples, Sweetgums (Liquid Amber), Scarlet Oaks, Spindleberries, Dogwoods together with our Chestnuts, Japonicas, Oaks, Beech to name a few; as my mother and I experienced on our trip to Lake Vyrnwy,Wales and Bodnant over ten years ago.

View of Lake Vrynwy taken from Hillside Farm, with the Autumn colours just appearing


The weather is still clement as I walk or drive around the streets – roses are still budding and flowering (after last night’s heavy shower .. perhaps a bit rain saturated, bruised and battered), the reds of the Virginia Creepers, the Berberises full of berries and purple leaves, even catkins on a hazel tree, leaves sprouting, birds singing happily with all the profusion of bounty.

I had a basket of autumn leaves, hips – dogwood, guelder rose – holly berries, together with autumn chrysanthemums made up for my mother’s birthday .. which she loves: nature straight from the bushes, and which she can feel .. the rustle of the leaves, the prickles of the holly, the silky brush of the bamboo flowers – together with some cyclamen giving off their gentle scent – an autumn gift for the ailing.

It's not my favourite - leading to the darkness of winter .. I much prefer the long summer days - but perhaps I prefer the colours of Autumn, even the new shoots of growth and spring don't gel together so well as this wonderful patchwork of reds, oranges, yellows and browns.

Dear Mr Postman .. I know you’re on strike today – but it’s kind of you to ensure that this letter gets through to my mother; we have had a quiet week, remembering at times my uncle and talking about him, while being silent together with our memories: an essential to someone imprisoned in bed. It’s not easy but I cannot give up and need to do as much as can in these trying circumstances.

Hilary Melton-Butcher
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