Author: Wild Fen

Trees, Updates

Marvelling at May Magic

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

As we move through May, I can’t help but marvel at how fast the wild world seems to expand and change on an almost daily basis.

The Hawthorn blossoms that just a few days ago felt in their prime, are now shedding their petals all over the track below. Meanwhile the Elderflowers are opening daily providing pollinators with a new flavour to enjoy.

Frothy Hawthorns
Magical Elder

I love the fullness at this time of the year. It feels like an invitation that asks me to pause regularly and notice the land around me. Medicine, at what can so often feel like a busy time of the year for us too.

The longer days, provide more opportunities to get out. Early morning walks, or evening visits to favourite spots to enjoy this abundant time of the year.

An evening walk to the Birches

Noticing Nature

A tree that always grabs my attention at this time of the year is the Horse Chestnut. Covered in tall, upright clusters of flowers known as ‘candles’ they can be spotted at great distances.

This expansive tree has developed a fascinating way of communicating with insects. Each individual flower starts off with a yellow patch on them that turns red once the flower has been pollinated, letting pollinators know, which flowers are worth visiting.

Fascinating Horse Chestnut flowers communicating with insects

A tree that is often overlooked at this time of the year is the Holly tree which is often associated with Winter. Its glossy green leaves and bright red berries bring colour and life at a time of the year when most of the colour has retreated. And yet, if you happen to see them in the Spring time, their delicate, 4 petalled flowers are a joy to see.

Typically a Holly tree will produce either male or female flowers. The male flowers have 4 long stamens that are coated with yellow pollen. The female flowers have a raised green centre, which is actually the ovary, and if pollinated grows into the red berries we shall be celebrating later on in the year.

Female flowers of the Holly tree

And as the bluebells have now faded in the woodland here, other woodland plants like Bugle and Yellow Archangel are providing new colours to enjoy.

Upcoming Events

This Saturday we return to Newark for Ye Olde Wytches Market, a magical event that includes talks, workshops and artisan craft stalls too.

We will be returning to the Witch & Fairy festival over the late May bank holiday. This magical event held in Northamptonshire has discounted tickets currently available too.

At the end of the month, we will be attending the Midlands Festival of Nature on Saturday 30th May.

Wishing you all some gentle pauses this week to absorb a little May magic,

Nic x

Wild Jewellery

Wild Hawthorn Pendants

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

Just a quick one from me today to introduce you to our wild Hawthorn collection that will be in store tonight, Sunday 3rd May at 7pm.

I have created a discount code for you too, as a little Beltane treat, so don’t forget to scroll on down to receive it.

As April gives way to May, the hedgerows come alive with the creamy blossoms of the Hawthorn tree. It is estimated that Hawthorn makes up around 70% of our hedgerows in the UK, spreading across the land, nourishing the wild world from the ground up.

This is a tree steeped in folklore and ancient tradition, particularly at this time of the year where it is a symbol of Summer’s arrival and the fertility of the land.

You can read more about Hawthorn’s magic here:

The Magic of Hawthorn

Hawthorn pendants

Wearing Hawthorn, is to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors, who wore Hawthorn as a way of pledging their allegiance to the earth. Talismans of luck and protection, of wisdom and connection.

These pieces will be in store at 7pm this evening, and as a thank you for being here with us and supporting our work we have created a 20% discount code that can be used on any of our Wild Jewellery pieces until Tuesday.

Simply enter the code NEWSLETTER20 at the checkout or follow the link here to add the discount to your basket.

With love,

Nic x

Trees, Wheel of the Year

Beltane and the Wild Magic of Hawthorn

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

How are you as we reach Spring’s peak? The wind has been wild here the past few days and I am finding myself invigorated and seeking shelter in equal measure!

I am writing today’s newsletter, under the watchful eye of this little Hawthorn tree that has been growing from a seed we planted the Autumn before last.

This year’s seedlings are continuing to break through the surface! We have Apple, Hornbeam, Oak and Walnut treelets all doing well so far.

As we reach Beltane, the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice, the land feels a buzz with life. I have felt a strong urge to really ‘sink in’ to the land around me in the simplest of ways.

Sometimes that has looked like lying in the garden and feeling the support of the ground against my body. Other times it has been walking up to the woods and sitting with my back against a tree, noticing the sounds, colours and textures of the world around me.

Simple, connected and deeply nurturing, I will be doing more of the same in the coming days.

If you would like to read more about this time of the year, associated plants and trees and other simple rituals, you may enjoy our Guide to Beltane.

A Guide to Beltane

The Wild Magic of Hawthorn

May’s arrival is synonymous with the blooming of the Hawthorn blossom throughout the hedgerows. Just like the flowering of the Bluebells, it is another important marker of the Wild Year, and I can’t resist spending a few moments in the company of this magical tree.

Hawthorns have long been associated with magic, healing and protection. Once a custom to plant a tree outside every house for good luck, they are still found marking many sacred sites around the country.

Hawthorn is believed to aid connection to our intuition and the wisdom of the natural world.  A medicine for the heart and the nervous system, they can guide us to reconnect to ourselves and our magic, dispel fear and live from the heart.

You can explore more about this mighty little tree here:

The Magic of Hawthorn

Hawthorn Collection

We have, of course been inspired to work with the wild energy of Hawthorn this week and have a few special pieces that will be in store this Sunday at 7pm.

I will introduce you to all the pieces in my next newsletter, on Sunday.

Wild Fen Updates

To celebrate Beltane, we have 20% off all prints and our Wheel of the Year cards this weekend.

|This Weekend in Ely

We will be in Ely for the Food, Drink and Craft Fair on Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th May.

Full Moon in Scorpio

And before I go, don’t forget to keep an eye out for the Full Moon rising tomorrow evening, May 1st, from around 8.45pm onwards (although do check the timing for your location). It will be rising around an hour earlier tonight and will look fabulous too!

Whatever you do this weekend, I hope you find a moment to sink in to the grounding energy of the land.

With love, Nic x

Plants, Products

The Magic of Gorse and Broom

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

In my previous post, I introduced you to two very closely related woody shrubs that we have found ourselves drawn to lately; Gorse and Broom.

I tend to connect Gorse most closely with coastal landscapes. This is where I find myself gasping with delight, as their vivid yellow flowers contrast beautifully against the sea and sky. It can also be found growing in under-grazed grasslands, heathland and the edge of woodlands with Broom found in similar habitats.

Pioneer species

Gorse and Broom both thrive where there is plenty of light and poor soil conditions, making them natural pioneer species, similar to Birch trees. This means that they will be the first plants to move into land that has been abandoned, cleared or degraded in some way.

They establish themselves quickly, stabilising and improving the soil around them as they grow. It is now understood that Gorse in particular, offers protection to young trees from wind and grazing animals.

As those trees grow, they will eventually shade out the Gorse, which weakens and dies without direct light, returning its nourishment into the soil. It has played its role in facilitating the transition of open land back into woodland.

You can read more about this process and research by Reforesting Scotland.

I think of these plants having a strong mission to return depleted land back into woodland. They can however be extremely challenging to manage, when this mission is in conflict with the desire to manage or maintain habitats in a different way.

This can be most evident in delicate heathland habitats and areas of farmland where Gorse will try to reclaim it and puts up a strong fight against any attempt to remove it.

Energy & Symbolism

Gorse and Broom are both wonderful guides in helping us to find ways to nourish ourselves and honour our needs. Their energy is wild and untamed as they fight to bring nourishment back to depleted land. Gorse in particular can teach us where we too may need a little fierceness in the name of protection.

They have developed clever mechanisms that allow them to nourish themselves in the most depleted environments, allowing them to flower abundantly. If you missed me talking about this in my previous post, you can find that here.

Like it’s name suggests, Broom was once prized for crafting brooms from. Its long whips made an excellent broom with which to clear away the old, both physically and metaphorically.

It is a wonderful plant to guide us when we are stepping out in new directions and may require a little extra self belief to support our tentative steps forward.

Gorse and Broom Collection

Our Gorse and Broom collection of tree pendants will be in store tonight, Sunday 19th April at 7pm. Here is a sneak peek of the pieces that will be available!

We hope you love them as much as we have loved working with them!

Upcoming Events

We have lots of wonderful events booked in this year and hope we may be able to say hello to you in person if any are close by.

We will be returning to the Nottingham Pagan Market next Saturday which is always an amazing day.

The following weekend we will be heading to Ely’s Food, Drink and Craft fair on Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th May. You can see our other events here.

Wishing you all a little extra nourishment today,

Nic x

Plants

April openings, Gorse & Broom

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

Did you know that the word for April is thought to come from the Latin verb Aperire meaning ‘to open’?

As I wander the land just now, I notice flowers and leaves opening on an almost daily basis. From brand new Oak leaves, to the delicate petals of the Stitchwort flowers. There is so much to enjoy meeting in April.

The Apple trees are beginning to bloom and the woodlands are thick with bluebells. I am trying to visit as often as I can, just to soak it all in.

Last week, we had a few days away in our van, visiting the Kent coast, an area new to us both. We loved walking along the chalky white cliffs, spotting kestrels and soaking in the vivid yellow of the Gorse flowers against the blue sky.

Last Spring, we worked on one of my favourite Wild Jewellery collections to date, celebrating the wild and untamed beauty of Gorse wood and since our recent trip, it has been calling to both of us once again…

Gorse, a member of the pea family

Gorse is a woody shrub in the pea family (Fabaceae) which includes lots of edible legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and peanuts, and plants like clover, wisteria and lupines.

Most members of this family have a bit of a superpower. By forming a relationship with a bacteria that lives in their root nodes, they are able to transform nitrogen from the air, into a useable form that nourishes the plant. This is why legumes are typically high in protein.

When the plant sheds material or dies and decomposes, it nourishes the soil around them, making it richer for other plants and trees that require more nutrients.

Gorse is very closely related to another woody shrub called Broom, both of which can be found growing in similar habitats throughout the UK.

The key ways to tell them apart is that Gorse has sharp spikes (pictured above) and its flowers have a strong coconut like scent, whereas Broom (pictured below) has neither of these characteristics.

We saw plenty of these two plants during our trip to the coast, and felt called to share a little more about both of them this week.

As you may well have guessed by now, Chris has begun working with their wood which is delightfully wild, just like the plants themselves!

In my next post, I will be sharing a little more about the wisdom and energy of these two, fascinating plants. You can also find us over on Instagram where Chris will be crafting some beautiful pendants from these wild woods.

More soon…

Nic x

P.s, you may also enjoy:

April overwhelm, mindful moments & tree flowers
Walking with Trees
The Magic of the Apple Tree
The Magic of Oak

Plants, Trees

The Magic of Wild Clematis

Wild Fen

This week, beneath the growing moon, we have been celebrating the magic of Wild Clematis, (Clematis vitalba) also known as Old Man’s Beard or my personal favourite; Traveller’s joy.

This woody plant is a member of the buttercup family, and is most likely found clambering along hedgerows or growing up trees where it produces these vines that hang from trees and always speak to my inner Tarzan when I see them!

This plant has a rather mixed reputation. In some areas of the UK, it is considered invasive, competing with other plants particularly outside of its native range of the South of England.

It does however provide an important food source for wildlife. Its small white flowers produce pollen throughout the Summer which is enjoyed by bees and hoverflies in the day, and moths at night. Its seed heads are eaten by many birds throughout the Autumn and Winter including Goldfinches and Greenfinches.

Wild Clematis, also known as Traveller’s Joy or Old Man’s Beard

It is perhaps most widely recognised for its fluffy seed heads which develop in the Autumn and earn Clematis its alternatives names.

And if you have ever travelled through the countryside and caught sight of it, lit up silver by the the low Winter sun, you may well recognise why it was named ‘Traveller’s Joy’ by those roaming ancient trackways.

We have really enjoyed working with this woody vine for the first time, uncovering these magical markings…

They were so exciting to see emerge from the oil, the markings were even more beautiful than we had imagined. If you missed it, you can watch Chris making some of these pieces over on Instagram.

Wishing you all love and a little Spring Magic,

Nic x

Plants

A brand new wood, but not from a tree…

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

I cannot believe that we are coming to the end of March and I have to say, it has been a wild one for me, how about you?

There have been some beautiful Spring moments, like hearing the birds singing, or feeling the sun warm my skin, but there have also been the days where I feel my Winter cave calling me right back in as soon as the temperature drops or the sky turns grey.

The thing about this time of the year, is that my mind is full of ideas and yet my energy cannot keep up with them and quickly becomes overwhelmed. I have found some of these Mindful Spring practices, really supportive this week, and so I am sharing them with you, in case they can be of help too.

Last week, we did a job that had been on our list for some time; to organise Chris’ wood shed. Last year, he inherited his grandparent’s shed and decided to turn it into his dedicated crafting space.

Over the past 5 years, we have slowly been gathering windfallen woods, getting to know both the wood, and the trees from which they came intimately. Since that very first piece of Birch wood we have built up quite the collection and so we wanted to create more of an organised space to hold it.

Using materials that we had available to us, we set about creating shelving, and making some pyrography labels too and he is already enjoying this newly improved space!

A new wood…but not from a tree

I recently shared a sneaky clip on Instagram of Chris working with a brand new wood, and a few of you shared guesses of what you thought it might be. I perhaps should have mentioned that the wood was not from a tree but from a woody plant…

It is always exciting to work with a new wood, especially one that is quite unusual because we have absolutely no idea how it will turn out, or whether it will even work for a pendant.

This wood comes from the vine like growth, of the wild Clematis (Clematis vitalba). You may also know it by one of its alternative names of ‘Old Man’s Beard‘ or my personal favourite ‘Traveller’s joy’

You can read more about this fascinating plant here:

The Magic of Wild Clematis

To honour Thursday’s Full Moon, we will have a small collection of Traveller’s Joy pendants in store at 7pm. Our hope is that they will bring you a reminder of the joy that exists on any journey, whether physical travel, or navigating our inner journeys too.

Wishing you some moments of joy this week,

Nic x

Mindful Spring Practices

Life

How did we end up here?

Wild Fen

Hello again Wild Soul.

As it is coming up to 6 years since we first created Wild Fen, I thought it may be a good time to take a trip down memory lane on quite how we arrived here.

In 2019, we were living together in the Fens, and spent our spare time exploring the land around us; watching wildlife, learning about wild plants, foraging and generally immersing ourselves in nature as often as was possible.

Chris was working as a landscape gardener after a 10 year period as a self-taught graphic designer. I was working for a mental health charity, where I supported individuals and groups with their wellbeing. I particularly loved running mindfulness workshops and getting outdoors with people, where I often witnessed their stress levels reduce and their perspective shift or open.

About a year in to our life in the Fens, Chris became really unwell with what was eventually diagnosed as glandular fever, with viral and bacterial tonsillitis. He ended up in hospital unable to eat or drink, struggling to fight the virus and infections. He was off work for about 2 months in total and during these uncertain times, we found ourselves reflecting on our life.

We talked about how much we wanted to travel and to spend more time in nature. We both had the urge to create ‘something’, although what that ‘something’ was, was unclear.

Looking back, his illness was like a catalyst that picked up many of our ‘far off’ dreams and plonked them right at our table to look at more seriously.

A few months later and after much soul searching, we found ourselves pushing send on our resignation emails and giving one month’s notice for leaving our home. Fear and excitement being experienced in equal measure.

It felt wild, reckless in the eyes of some and yet a fire had been lit in us both, to try something different. To take a ‘leap’. We sold our belongings, temporarily moved in with family and set about our search for a van that we could convert into a tiny home.

Picking up our van, scary, excited
Home, after 9 months of learning on the job!

Wild Fen did not arrive with a clear vision and instead grew the more that we listened and tended to the soil of our lives. It grew from a deepening connection to the land around us and a desire to share that with others.

It grew alongside the herbs that I tended in my Mum’s garden, and wove into smoulder sticks that I made as a gift to family at Christmas, and later shared online just incase anyone may want one.

And over time it has expanded like a network of roots making their way through the earth. The more time that we spend on the land, the more we noticed, observed and felt guided by the wild world around us.

Running a small business has not been without its challenges, and whilst there are aspects of life that feel idyllic, there are plenty that feel overwhelming, uncertain and demotivating at times too.

But we are here, and have thus far at least, found our way around the challenges, just like tree roots pass around the unmoveable rocks hidden within the soil.

If you enjoyed this post, you may enjoy catching up with our journey a little more:

A small business and van living
A Reflection on Van Life
Land Update – A Space to Grow

With love,

Nic x

Trees

The Magic of Alder

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

Alder is often described as the tree of the Spring Equinox and according to the Celtic Tree Calendar is assigned to the period of time between March 18th and April 14th. It is a fascinating tree that thrives in damp places and can often be found growing beside rivers, lakes and ponds where its roots will be submerged beneath the water.

It is a relatively short lived tree, with a lifespan of around 60 years but within that time, it can transform its surroundings, much like close family member, the Birch tree. Alders form an association with a nitrogen fixing bacteria, which allows the tree to grow in nutritionally poor soils, and improves the soil around them so that other trees such as Oaks can grow there. This earns them the title of a ‘nurse’ tree.

The wood of the Alder tree is relatively soft, but when submerged beneath the water, it becomes as hard as stone. For this reason, it is a wood favoured for building bridges. In fact, Venice is built on top of millions of Alder timbers that were submerged into the clay for structure as early as the 5th century. Quite impressive for such a short lived tree!

Along with its obvious connection to the water element, it is also believed to embody the energy of fire. In early Spring, the Alder tree can be seen ‘glowing’ red with catkins and if the tree is cut down, its pale wood reacts quickly with oxygen, turning the wood a rich, deep orange colour. This association with both fire and water is one of reasons that the Alder tree is believed to represent ‘balance.’

Alder is monoecious, meaning that both male and female flowers are found on the same tree. Male catkins, measure up to 6cm, and turn from red to yellow as they open. Female catkins are much small, starting out as red, oval-shaped cones before growing and turning green and eventually brown after pollination. They can be seen growing on the tree all at the same time.

We have loved working with the energy of this beautiful tree and if you would like to see Chris crafting these pieces, you can head over to our Instagram page where we shared some videos this week.

Jewellery
This piece appears to have a ‘double core’
We can also craft an Alder slice pendant to order

With love from the trees

Nic x

Other posts you may enjoy:

Walking with Trees
Tree Guides for Spring
Mindful Spring Practices

Trees, Wheel of the Year

New Moon, Spring Equinox & the Alder tree

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul.

As we move towards Ostara; the Spring Equinox this Friday, we look set for a beautiful couple of days here in the East. I hope they will be reaching you too! As I walked into the workshop this morning, I was greeted by a newly opened Crocus. I had planted them in pots outside the door back at the Winter Solstice.

Last week, we took a trip to Stowe Gardens and met so many beautiful Alder trees, and as a tree associated with the Spring Equinox, I wanted to share more about them in today’s post.

Walking with Alder

Ostara and the New Moon

Ostara, is the celebration of the Spring Equinox, the midpoint between the shortest day of the year (Yule, the Winter Solstice) and the longest day of the year (Litha, the Summer Solstice). This year, Ostara falls on Friday 20th March here in the UK. As the land around us is unfurling, this time of the year is associated with renewal and new beginnings and feels to me like a big stretch after Winter’s slumber.

This year, Ostara coincides with a New Moon that falls the day before and this beginning of a new lunar cycle makes it an especially potent time for sowing seeds, both literally and metaphorically!

Some Simple New Moon Practices

An Apology from us!

Whilst on the topic of the New Moon, we wanted to send out an apology for an error that we made on this year’s Lunar Calendar. We were upset to discover that we had marked the upcoming New Moon (Thursday 19th March) to be in Aries, instead of Pisces, while April’s New Moon on the 17th is marked in Pisces rather than Aries.

We have been creating our Lunar Calendars for 6 years now, and spend days of work putting them together so we were shocked to discover our mistake. We really hope that this doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of your calendar but please do reach out if you would like to discuss this further.

Wild Fen Updates

In celebration of Ostara, there is 20% off everything in store from now until Sunday 22nd March! Here are just a few things available.

We will be celebrating the Alder tree all this week over on Instagram and we are working on a couple of very special pieces of Wild Jewellery. You can follow along there for daily updates. These unique Alder pieces will be in store at 7pm on Sunday 22nd March.

For more on Ostara, the Spring Equinox, do check out the posts below,

Wishing you all some fresh energy this week!

Nic x

A Guide to Ostara – the Spring Equinox
Awakening with Ostara
Ostara, Air and Smoke Cleansing