This Book Changed My Life
It’s not your usual life-changing book. It doesn’t cover any self-help topics, physical fitness, or productivity. It has nothing to do with money or work. Rather, it’s all about the UK’s native plants.
‘The Hedgerow Handbook’ by Adele Nozedar opened the natural environment in the UK to me gently, kindly, and beautifully. I love this book for so many different reasons, not least for all the knowledge contained within its covers.
Recipes, Remedies, Rituals
When you emigrate across the world, so much of what is familiar is left behind. Even if your culture was born from the one you are assimilating with.
My country of birth is known for being hot, dry, and dangerous. It smells of eucalypt when it rains and the grass spikes the soles of your feet in summer if you don’t wear flipflops. Or thongs, as I grew up calling them.
England is so very gentle by comparison. The seasons turn with unrivaled beauty. The plants beckon you outside — no matter what the weather is doing. The smell and softness of the grass will delight your senses.
Despite this gentleness, the plants were strangers to me, just like the people. I couldn’t tell the difference between an oak and hazel. I had no idea what all the fuss about elderflower cordial was. And if a yew tree whacked me over the head, I’d have had trouble giving its description to the cops.
Adele Nozedar’s book introduced me to the lanes and the countryside. It explained the idiosyncrasies of the different plants and illustrated the flowers, leaves, and barks so beautifully that I began to learn their names. For a while, it was my constant companion when I went walking. Most of all, it reignited my interest in nature that now runs through my veins.
Scattered throughout the pages are snippets of folklore stories and ancient rituals that connected the people to the land. A love of this place is imbued in its pages. The recipes help you to explore the flavours of nature along with the stories and the people it has shaped.
A Change of View
With this book in my basket, I’d wander far and wide across North Devon. It helped me learn the importance of the soil, the soggy bogs, and the acidic moorland. It fostered in me a desire to feel more connected to the place I now call home.
This desire has only grown. To begin with, I worried that learning to name my surroundings would kill some of the magic I feel in England. I was wrong, it has only helped it grow. I love calling ‘Hello!’ to the copper beech trees as I walk my boys to school. The plants that I am yet to become acquainted with only raise my curiosity further.
This place that was once a stranger to me now feels like a friend. I’ve become motivated to learn more, to become a part of it as it is becoming part of me.
I don’t feel so much a stranger in this land as an explorer. I’m now eager to discover more. It feels I am a natural part of this world now, rather than an interloper. I imagine my forbearers felt the same when they landed on the shores of my homeland and began to know its harsh beauty.
Somehow, The Hedgerow Handbook helped me complete the circle of immigration. It helped me better understand where I came from and where I’d like to head in the future.
A New Interest
These days, foraging has become a favoured pastime of mine. There is something indescribably satisfying about picking nature’s bounty and sharing it with the people you love. Each season brings delicious things to try. Some are firm favourites in our family. Others have been tried and are now left for the birds.
Spring is for ramsons and nettles. Summer, for the deliciousness of elderflower cordial, lemonade, and wild salads. Autumn is when some of the most delicious health-boosting berries burst from the hedges, urging you to prepare for winter. Winter is when I get to share my pickings and what I’ve learned as gifts for friends and family.
Foraging has also kindled my interest in the connection between our health and the environment. The way our surroundings, not just people, shape our world view fascinates me. The impact of green and blue spaces on our health is of endless interest. I doubt I would have become so engaged in these topics without learning about the natural world around me.
It may sound strange to some that a simple book about plants could change the direction of my life and the connection I feel with where I live. But the simple fact is, it did.
Because of this book — and the many books and articles that came after it — I’m able to teach my kids about their home and surroundings. I can now light their sparks of curiosity, and fan the flames of love for our shared environment. I now understand where I am, and I’m proud to call this beautiful, gentle place my home.
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