Autumnal foraging
Collecting foraged goodies can be an enjoyable and inexpensive way of bringing nature indoors. Autumn is full of bounty that can brighten up your home. Here’s just a few of the things I like to collect from September onwards.
Hawthorn
They have a pretty, unusual shaped leaf and produce clusters of beautiful crimson berries. Hawthorn can be found in lots of different places, and because of the abundant berries they are easy to spot. I regularly pass hawthorn whilst walking my dog around the city, you don’t need to travel into the countryside to find it.
A small bough of hawthorn would look lovely on a mantel or as a table centre.The clusters of berries could also be used in wreath or garland making.
Blackberries
As delicious as these are to eat, they also add a pop of colour and surprise to a floral arrangement, or even just a jam jar full of a few berried branches. Bramble flowers are delicate pinks and whites. Be careful when picking, as they have very prickly stems and leaves. They look gorgeous whether they are tiny, green unripe berries, or huge big berries on the brink of bursting.
According to legend you shouldn’t pick blackberries after Michaelmas Day (29 September), as when Lucifer fell from heaven he landed in a blackberry bush and he placed a curse on all blackberry bushes. Most importantly though, please be careful of the thorns!
Rosehips
Rosehips come in lots of different shapes and sizes, but are quite easy to identify in the wild due to dried, almost tentacle-like wisps growing from the bottom of them. They look divine in a wreath, or a bunch of rosehip bejewelled branches in a vase can be a show stopper.
Hips can also be used to make syrup and tea, there’s lots of resources online that tell you the best way to dry out rosehips.
Pine cones
These beauties start falling from trees in September. You can collect them right through to December. There’s lots of things you can do with pinecones. They are great for wiring into arrangements, garlands and wreaths. Or you can simply put them in a decorative bowl or vase, for a nice autumnal vibe.
Fallen leaves
This is such an easy one to collect! From early September trees start shedding their leaves and can be easily collected, often without venturing too far from your home. Go on a dry day, to avoid bringing home any mouldy leaves. They can be scattered across sideboards or wired into wreaths, the possibilities are endless.
Oak moss and lichens
A slightly trickier one, but mosses and lichens can really make your floral arrangements next level. They can be used to hide any mechanics in arrangements or around the base of your favourite potted plant. They can also be attached to large branches to make interesting centrepieces.
Fruits and branches
Autumn is abundant with fruits, particularly apples and crab apples. Fallen fruits can be collected and scattered across tables and surfaces to give your home an autumnal feel. Branches with fruits attached can also be brought indoors and placed in vases or used as centre pieces.
I’d love to see anything you make from foraged materials, give me a tag on Instagram so I can see!
A final note, please be very careful when foraging, if you are unsure what something is then don’t pick it. Always make sure you leave enough behind for birds, insects and other foragers. The Woodland Trust has a great guide for responsible foraging.
