Tag: Gorse

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, Wild Jewellery

Returning with a Spring in my Step & our Gorse Collection

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

I hope you have had a chance to soak in some of the delicious sunshine that has shone down on us so far this month. It has certainly put a spring in my step! I have felt the urge for some spring clearing, garden pottering, and a little planning for the year ahead. Have you noticed any changes in your energy yet?

As soon as the sun shines, I have an overwhelming urge to visit the coast, which I did last week. Whilst there, coastal loving Gorse seemed to be in its element, blooming vibrantly against the blue sky.

And so it is Gorse that has inspired our first Wild Jewellery collection of this year. In today’s post, I will be sharing more about this fascinating shrub, I will introduce you to our Gorse collection and let you know exactly when it will be in store, so let’s dive in…

Gorse is a resourceful, evergreen shrub that has developed many adaptations to help it to thrive. It produces nitrogen that enriches the soil around its own roots, so that it can grow in the places that other plants may struggle. Strong spikes protect Gorse so that it can bloom without restraint.

Gorse energy can guide us in learning how to nourish and protect our energy so that we may flourish. To me, Gorse is an advocate for an untamed life, and finding creative ways to thrive. What a wonderful wild guide as we move into spring.

Introducing our Gorse Collection

The overwhelming feeling we experienced from working with Gorse wood was ‘wild’ and ‘untamed’. It felt as though we were working with the wood to retain its own wild character, patterns and markings which shine through these unique pieces. We really hope you love them as much as we enjoyed creating them!

These pieces will be in store on Monday 17th March at 6pm alongside some other spring pieces. The link below will take you to our Etsy shop where you can add us to your favourite shops for updates.

We have really enjoyed hearing about your connections with Gorse over on Instagram this week. If you haven’t already, we would love you to come and join us there too. Let’s share and celebrate the beauty and magic of nature together. You can find us there by clicking the link below…

Further reading

As we approach the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere you may wish to catch up with some of our previous posts: ‘Ostara, Air and Smoke Cleansing‘ and Awakening with Ostara which includes my favourite journal prompt to work with at this time of year. You may also enjoy our Mindful Spring Practices too, especially helpful if you notice yourself becoming overwhelmed at this time of year.

In my next post, I will be sharing some of my favourite tree guides for the spring season, but until then…

Wishing you all a little spring sunshine this weekend,

Nic x

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