Hedgerow Gold: An Autumn of Harvests, Markets and Happy Accident

Autumn has arrived with both hands full. The past few weeks have gone by in a rush of sunshine and stained fingertips, with baskets of elderberries, calendula and echinacea, and long afternoons spent in the hedgerows while the light was still warm.

A forager's privilege

I've been fortunate this season to gather at Middle Farm in Weston, on the edge of Bath, an organically run farm where nature is left to do as it pleases. The hedges glow with rose hips, calendula grows in bright drifts, and the echinacea stands tall and generous. Foraging there feels less like work and more like being let in on a secret, and much of what I gathered has found its way into this season's bottles.

The season of making

Autumn is also market season, and this year it has been busier than ever. The syrup pan has barely had a chance to cool. I'm now on my seventh batch of Spiced Elderberry Syrup, bottling it ready for the Wales Food Festival. Before that came Benham Park Elevate, a wonderful event where the warmth of the people matched the warmth of the spices, and the table was nearly cleared by the end of the day.

Two new arrivals

Honey Fire Cider. The best discoveries are sometimes accidents. One day I added honey to a batch of fire cider, and what I got was a gentler, rounder version. It keeps all the fiery character of the original but softens the edges, so it welcomes anyone who has been wary of fire cider's heat. Much of the magic comes from the honey, made by a third-generation beekeeper in Stroud. It's honey that tastes of its place, and it transforms everything it touches.

Spiced Echinacea & Elderberry Oxymel. All that echinacea had to become something special. This enhanced oxymel brings together echinacea, elderberry and rose hips with warming spices, all balanced by that same beautiful Stroud honey. It's a bottle of the season itself: tart, sweet, spiced and grounding.

How you're enjoying them

One of the joys of market days is hearing how my bottles find their way into your kitchens. Spiced Elderberry Syrup is still the firm favourite, and my favourite way to enjoy it is drizzled over a bowl of morning porridge. The oxymels and fire cider are finding a second life in mocktails as well. A splash with sparkling water, ice and a twist of citrus makes a drink every bit as interesting as anything poured from a cocktail shaker, and a spoonful of syrup does the same magic.

I've also been delighted to see younger customers discovering tinctures, which is proof that the old herbal traditions still have plenty to offer a new generation.

A thank you, and a first taste

Every conversation at the stall teaches me something, about these plants, about the people who come to them, and quite often about life itself. Thank you for being such an inspiration.

Neither of the new arrivals has reached the website yet, so they'll be at the markets first. If you'd like to be among the first to try the Honey Fire Cider or the Spiced Echinacea & Elderberry Oxymel, email me at bloomfieldbotanicals@gmail.com and I'll gladly offer you a special early price before they go online.

With warmth from the hedgerows,Olenia x