November - Winter Approaches but There’s Still Brightness
“Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”
– George Eliot
Writing about the joys to be found out in nature in November is more challenging for me than extolling the virtues of some of the other months!
In all honesty, it can be a mixed month. If the weather is kind, then November feels like late Autumn with the changing leaf colour glowing in the sunlight and the added beauty of bright, frosty mornings. These are the energising November days that promote the George Eliot style feelings above and the sense of a last hurrah before we sink into midwinter!
On the other hand, if the weather isn’t on our side, November can be grey, cold and gloomy with rain on the windows and gusts of wind leaving the trees bare. These November days find me counting down to the bright lights of Christmas!
No coincidence then, that there are so many celebrations involving light in November. All building up to the biggest party at the end of December! You can read more about these in my previous blog ‘November - Month of Woodsmoke and Elongated Nights’ - there’s a link to it at the bottom of this article.
FACT: Our Anglo-Saxon ancestors called this time of year Blotmonath, ‘blood month’. It was traditionally a time for slaughtering animals that had been fattened up over the summer. Although this sounds somewhat macabre it was actually celebratory, with cooking, feasting and preserving for the winter. For our ever-practical ancestors, it also avoided the cost of keeping the animals through the winter.
Whichever way to weather goes there's still joy to be found in November.
It’s a month for taking our lead from nature and turning more inwards. For still getting outdoors when the hours are light and the weather allows; then retreating indoors, to embrace the concept of hygge. Reading a good book, cooking something hearty and welcoming warm socks and blankets!
In fact, November offers the perfect excuse for lashings of hot tea, cake and buttery crumpets in front of the fire and TV!
With my gardening head on, November allows us space to plan and regroup.
It’s time to make the winter garden more engaging and to prepare for the lighter months ahead. Here are some ideas:
planting tulip bulbs
adding winter interest plants
helping wildlife survive the winter
planting bare root roses
moving shrubs to better positions
sowing early sweet peas undercover
tidying up the garden
browsing seed and plant catalogues
planning what you want to achieve in the next growing season
There’s more about seasonal gardening jobs in my November newsletter. To join my mailing list and receive my free monthly newsletters click here
Fabulous Fungi
November is an ideal time for a fungal foray! So drag on your wellies and head of to your local woods, park or field edge to see what you can spot.
With my limited knowledge of wild fungi, I tend to enjoy them with my eyes, rather than eating them. If you fancy foraging for edible mushrooms never pick and eat fungi that you cannot positively identify.
Go with an expert and a good, illustrated field guide.
“Today, over 90% of plants depend on mycorrhizal fungi - which can link trees in shared networks sometimes referred to as the ‘Wood Wide Web’.
This ancient association gave rise to all recognisable life on land, the future of which depends on the continued ability of plants and fungi to form healthy relationships.”
– Merlin Sheldrake ‘Entangled Life’
Fact: Fungi networks are unseen, underground systems of minute, connected threads. Mild, wet autumn weather encourages these networks to produce their fruiting bodies, which we know as mushrooms and toadstools.
Fungi are often associated with magic, poison, hallucinations and ancient taboos and we’ve only recently started to understand them properly.
They play an important role within our ecosystems, helping to recycle nutrients from dead or decaying organic matter and providing food and shelter for different animals.
They get their nutrients from organic matter, rather than photosynthesis like plants do.
Some of my favourite fungi to spot in Autumn, have fantastic literal names:
Fly Agaric
The iconic red fairytale toadstool with white dots on the cap. It’s even got its own emoji!
The name comes from its ancient use as natural pest control. Chopped up chunks of the mushroom were put into a bowl of milk to form a tasty but deadly trap for insects, especially flies!
Look for these mushrooms in woodland but don’t touch as they are toxic.
This gorgeous illustration of Fly Agaric fungi is by Agnes at We Are Stardust.
Shaggy Inkcaps
These bell-shaped fungi are named because as they age and die, they turn into a black liquid. You can make ink from this liquid but apparently it’s pretty smelly!
Other country names include ‘Lawyer’s Wig’ and ‘Shaggy Mane’ for obvious reasons!
Look for them in open areas, grassy fields, lawns, parks and roadside verges, living on leaf litter and sometimes in woodchip.
Click here to see the lifecycle of a Shaggy Inkcap over 5 days:
Amethyst Deceiver
What a wonderfully named fungi! Wouldn’t it make a fantastic Marvel comic hero?!
Anyway, Amethyst Deceivers can be found growing in the leaf litter in woodlands, particularly around Beech trees.
When they’re young they are very purple but as they age, they fade making them more difficult to identify – which I suppose gives rise to their name!
Scarlet Elf Cup
Whimsical, bright red, cup-shaped fungus found nestled amongst moss, on fallen twigs and branches (often hazel).
Country lore says that elves like to sip dew from the red cups - making these fungi all the more attractive!
Turkey Tails
turkey tails fungi, fantastic fungi
This small, bracket fungus grows in tiered layers on dead hardwood trees, like beech and oak.
It’s very common so look for it on rotting stumps and branches.
Turkey tails can be very colourful and in the past have reputably been used to decorate hats!
Fact: The Romans worshipped Robigus, the god of mildew (which is a fungi) . They prayed to him to advert famine and disease.
Fungi Challenge
On 3 November 1906, Edith Holden went mushroom hunting in her nearby Violet Woods and spotted 10 different species of fungi in half an hour. *
Can you beat that?
* taken from ‘The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady’ – Edith Holden
I spotted these fungi on a recent trip to Scotland and would love to hear what you spy. Take some photos and do share using #WildSeasonalInspiration
The Moon in November
November’s moon is called the Darkest Depths Moon, Frost Moon, Dark Moon, Fog Moon, Mourning Moon, Tree Moon and Beaver Moon (because this month beavers are building dams).
The full moon occurs on the 8 November when there will be a total lunar eclipse. This occurs when the moon goes into Earth’s shadow.
The total lunar eclipse is sometimes called a Blood Moon, as the Moon turns red - although it’s actually more of a reddish-orange glow.
Avid followers of the moon see the November moon cycle as one of cleansing. For letting go of what is past, to make way for the new season ahead.
So there you have it, plenty of ideas of what to notice outdoors in November. There’s still gorgeousness to be found! I’ll be back next month as we head off into December, ready to embrace all things advent, Yule and festive!
Further Reading
