Bountiful

Right now, the countryside seems to be overflowing with fruits of all sizes, shapes and colours.  Malcolm and I have had great success over the last few days, picking the Blackberries which are so abundant this year, but that's not all there is to see in the hedgerows.  Particularly bright, colourful and heavily laden at the moment are the Rowan Trees (Sorbus aucuparia).  I mentioned their orange fruits a few days ago, but they are so beautiful, it's well worth mentioning them again.

A member of the Rose family, like the Blackberries we have been picking, their clusters of berries are always a wonderful sight.  Those growing close to where we live seem to have berries of orange or red and all shades in between.

The berries, though not dangerous, are not good to eat and may cause gastric upset.  Several European countries have a tradition of turning them into jams and jellies or making teas and syrup out of them, particularly good when making liqueur.  The fruits also go into a compote for serving with various meats, especially game.  For us, they are simply fabulous to look at and excellent food for the birds.