Who doesn’t associate in some way with Hawthorn. I remember as a child reconstructing nests in the hawthorn hedge at primary school, all in the vain hope that I would encourage a pair of birds to take up residence. It was a task that had to be conducted with so much care otherwise I would have been scratched to bits.
I also look forward to that beautiful display of white blossom, a clear sign that spring is on its way:
“Ne’er cast a clout till May be out”
I’ve always believed this to refer to the appearance of the May blossom – after all, nature has an uncanny knack of knowing what weather is on the horizon.
And now, as it’s leaves start to fall, the berries are starting to shine a beautiful scarlet, just reminding us that summer is drawing to an end and autumn is just around the corner.
Changing Seasons 
In terms of my own Midas touch, turning hawthorn leaves to silver is all about the timing. The leaves appear around April, but this new young fresh foliage can be a little shiny and its difficult to create a true replica of the leaf. Left until September and they become dry and brittle and my leaves may break before I can fire them. I usually pick mine May/June time but this year’s Hawthorn were carefully picked in late August, from the Caldon Canal in the Churnet Valley, Nr Leek, Staffordshire and reborn in September.
I’ve loved making them. I love their shape and their texture. I adore the “inclusions” where they’ve been nibbled, demonstrating the resilience of nature. There’s just 6 of them, just enough to see my shop through the Christmas season. I won’t make any more this year, I simply can’t get the leaves now. They range from a small bracelet charm to various pendant sizes and can be found in my online shop. So if you do fancy a forever Hawthorn grab one quickly.
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