Posted by Autumn is coming and with it, more ways to enjoy nature (if accompanied by a growing need for wrapping up in warm clothes). Try one of these ways to have fun this weekend.
Go Foraging
Blackberry season is rapidly drawing to an end but damsons, plums, apples, crabapples, rosehips and hawthorn are still filling the hedgerows and falling from the trees. It’s crumble time!
Make jam and jelly too, so you can enjoy a taste of summer in the autumn and winter.
Rose petal jam can make a romantic choice for Christmas day breakfast: look for flowers that are about to lose their petals, and rescue them to eat. Make sure you’re certain of the flowers you forage though: they’re not all edible (and some flowers are toxic). If in doubt, don’t.
Damsons make a beautiful, dark jelly (that’s tasty in rich gravies).
Apple sauce is also useful. Keep it chunky so you can use it for quick puddings or sauces. Make a healthier alternative to jam tarts using apple sauce instead of jam (I team with clotted cream which may balance out the reduced sugar – but tastes great.)
Collect Rainbowblooms
Find flowers every colour of the rainbow and share your photographs on Twitter on Sundays from 11am using #rainbowblooms.
If you love wildflowers, share your photographs 8-9pm on Sundays using #WildflowerHour. It’s a great hashtag hour for wildflower ID too. I learn loads every week.
Spread #LoveNotLitter
Spending time litter picking leaves you with a great feeling as well as helping wildlife. Add some love to remind other people not to litter
And you can fill any glass bottles you find with foraged drinks, once you’ve sterilised them.
Get Gardening
It’s still not too late to plant a garden there are plenty of seasonal gardening packs you can buy: I love The Crop Club rainbow garden kits.
However, if you’re short on cash (and gardening space), you can create a container garden using recycled tins, jars and bottles as pots and use cuttings from friends with gardens. A herb garden can save you a fortune and help liven up meals.
Get Crafting
If the weather puts you off leaving the house, raid your recycling box and get crafting instead.
From egg-box flowers to dolls made from tights, fairy gardens to decoupage, you can do a lot with some glue, fabric scraps and a sprinkling of biodegradable glitter. Ecocrafting keeps things out of landfill too.
Have Afternoon Tea
An afternoon tea is a lovely way to spend a cold day – and needn’t cost a fortune. Make your own – and craft your own cake stands if you don’t have one to display your treats on. You don’t need to be rich to have a fun weekend.
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