Tales from the Hedgerow and Moor

The old English word for the solstice was sunstede — the standing still. June has two distinct characters: the building light of the first half, and the turn that begins after the 21st, almost too small to notice at first. This episode covers June in its fullness, the plants coming into flower in the hedgerow, the creatures of the long evenings, the old customs of Midsummer, and what is overhead i...

In this episode I take a look at the festivals and customs of the month of May, both those that are still celebrated today and those that were celebrated by our ancestors but ave now faded away. I look at Beltane and May Day and how the Christian church pinched some of these ancient customs and festivals and adapted them into something different. I also take a look at how some of the plants and fl...

April is one of the most exciting months in the countryside when spring is fully underway. The weather can swing from warm, early-summer sunshine to sudden wind and rain across the moor, a changeability that has long shaped how the month is understood — what Shakespeare called “the uncertain glory of an April day.” In this episode, we explore the traditions and turning points of April, from the mi...

Chorus & Seed SowingMarch Seasonal Living Podcast | St David’s Day, St Piran, St Patrick, Primroses, Dawn Chorus & Seed Sowing In this March episode of Tales from the Hedgerow & Moor, we focus on seasonal living, folklore, and early spring rhythms. We explore the traditions of St David’s Day, St Piran’s Day, and St Patrick’s Day, including the history of the leek and shamrock as nation...

In this February episode, we take a closer look at the quiet turning of the season as winter begins to loosen its hold. We explore traditional February themes of preparation, purification, and early signs of movement in the natural world, including the return of light, shifting weather, and the first plants and birds to watch for as the month unfolds. The episode touches on seasonal folklore and t...

January is a month of watching rather than beginning. In this first episode, we settle into the quiet heart of winter and take time to notice what is still moving, growing, and enduring while the land rests. January in the hedgerows and countryside is shaped by water, weather, and winter presence — birds become more visible, fungi and lichens replace colour with texture, and plants wait beneath th...