LandLove Magazine

I don’t know about you, but the first things that come to mind when I think of September are the beautiful colours of the turning leaves, closely followed by the treasures of the landscape. Who doesn’t love stumbling upon a mushroom or spotting a horse chestnut tree with mountains of conkers at its base? So, in this issue you’ll find everything you could need to set out on a wild finds adventure and pick up all manner of goodies. To get you started, take a little inspiration from this issue’s artisan producer, Wild Side Preserves, who make jams using the bounty around them. Turn to p.54 to discover how Helen and Andy turned their small-scale jam business into their greatest pleasure in life. They forage for their ingredients and then, using the kitchen on their boat, which is big enough for only one person, they turn the hedgerows into tasty jars of jam bursting with flavour. Though, they’re always respectful of the Mother Nature and the jam they make is completely dependent on nature’s offering. If you’re thoroughly inspired by the duo, and fancy going out into a nearby woodland to do some foraging of your own, why not first turn to p.108 where we identify 12 plants, fruit and nuts you should be looking out for in late summer and into autumn? You’ll note chicken of the woods, acorns, damsons and berries are abundant at this time of year in our forests and woodlands. If you don’t live in the countryside, there’s no need to worry because we’ve also been looking into urban foraging, going in search of the bounty right on our doorsteps in cities and towns. Flick to p.104 to find out more about what you could find in London and further afield. Or, if you’re after something simpler, try one of our autumn recipes using ingredients you can pick up at your local farm shop at this time of year.