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Blog
When to pick sloes and how to make sloe gin
It's traditional to make sloe gin in autumn, ready for the coming winter. Here's an easy and delicious recipe for you to try, with our top sloe picking tips. It takes a couple of months to mature, so if you make it soon it'll be ready by Christmas.
Helen Keating • 15 Sep 2020
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Trees woods and wildlife
Wood blewit
Pastel-toned and edible with a magical twist. Wood blewit has a blue to violet-tinged cap and gills when young, with pale pink spores. It sometimes grows in circles called ‘fairy rings’, which can appear overnight and were once thought to indicate that magic was at work.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Willow, crack
Scruffy and loud, the crack willow is named after its habit of splitting with cracks and fissures, and how noisy its branches are when they break. It’s one of the largest willows and its leaves are popular with moth caterpillars.
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Blog
What is pollination?
Learn about pollination and why it is so important for the natural world.
Danielle Wesley • 08 Apr 2019
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Trees woods and wildlife
Wild garlic
A delicious sign of the old, wild garlic is also known as ramsons. Look for them in shady woods where they coat the woodland floor in spring.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Bramble
Hardy and determined, the bramble uses powerful roots to grow rapidly in almost any environment. Look out for juicy blackberries in the summer to make the most of this countryside favourite.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Dark-edged bee-fly
Masquerading as a bumblebee, this agile mimic is a lover of all things nectar. Look out for it buzzing from flower to flower on warm, sunny days.
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Blog
Feather identification: common feathers in the UK
Collecting nature finds is a lovely way to feel closer to the wildlife on your doorstep. Some of the most abundant of these treasures are feathers, and you can find them almost anywhere. But which bird left them behind?
Charlotte Varela • 15 Apr 2019
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Blog
Insect identification: common UK insects
There are a staggering 27,000 types of insect in the UK. Let's take a look at some of our most common insect groups and how you can identify them.
Charlotte Varela • 09 Oct 2023
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Blog
What is the difference between a frog and a toad?
Find out the difference between our two favourite amphibians, the frog and the toad.
Charlotte Varela • 23 Feb 2024