Nature's Bounty

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful,

or believe to be beautiful."

William Morris

This week I have been foraging in the hedgerows. First I collected damsons; I actually set out to find blackberries, and did indeed pick a fair number, but the damson tree I passed on the way was a delightful bonus. It was growing very close to the lane - no inconvenient ditches to straddle, as happened later on with the crab apples - and its branches were fairly drooping with the big purpley-black fruits. They looked so beautiful, and I reached up and gathered great handfuls of them. After sitting around for a day or two looking attractive, they were made into damson 'cheese' by my father. It's not really cheese (obviously), but a very thick, rather solid sort-of spread, and it goes well on oatcakes.

The next day I went for a walk past a big horse chestnut tree, and spread out beneath it on the ground were lots and lots of rich, brown, glossy conkers. They may not have any edible uses, but I couldn't resist! They are so round and shiny and satisfying that every year I am tempted to pick far more than I have any space for. My father says I am a conkaholic...

Actually, I have recently discovered that conkers do have a use, though not an edible one: they keep spiders away. Apparently this is caused by the conkers giving out some sort of chemical that spiders pick up on, and they hate it. So if you put conkers on a windowsill, or on the floor in a corner, it will rid a room of any current spidery inhabitants (and discourage any new arrivals). There now! Useful and beautiful: William Morris would approve...