As the Season Turns

April's Found Sound is the second part of an exploration into foraging. In this episode, Alice meets wild foods expert Miles Irving to forage for common hogweed and drink rosebay willowherb tea. Settle in for a relaxing ten minutes that will help you feel part of nature, wherever you are. Please note that common hogweed should only be eaten cooked and those with celery allergies should avoid it. Common Hogweed's lookalikes include the invasive ‘Giant Hogweed’, which grows to much greater heights and should not be handled or eaten. If you plan to forage at home, always be 100% sure with your identification and that it is edible. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Miles Irving. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendertz. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a guide to what to look out for in the month ahead - from the sky above to the land below. Found Sounds are released on the middle Friday of the month, a little addition for listeners who want to feel that bit more immersed in nature. Ffern is an organic fragrance maker based in Somerset. You can learn more about Ffern's seasonal eau de parfum at ffern.co

For April we begin the month with some last-minute Easter crafts and end it in the bluebell wood. We tell tales of the stars and cook from the garden, learning along the way why you should leave a wild patch amid your planting. And The Breath give us a song for long April journeys. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musicians Ríoghnach Connolly and Stuart McCallum of The Breath. Geoff Bird produces and Catriona Bolt is Ffern's in-house production coordinator. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a guide to what to look out for in the month ahead - from the sky above to the land below. Ffern is an organic fragrance maker based in Somerset. You can learn more about Ffern's seasonal eau de parfum at ffern.co

In a Found Sound for March, Alice visits Folkestone, Kent, where our very own Zoe Gilbert takes her out foraging along the clifftops - where they find alexanders, yarrow and ribwort plantain. Settle in for a relaxing ten minutes that will help you feel part of nature, wherever you are. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Zoe Gilbert. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendertz. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a guide to what to look out for in the month ahead - from the sky above to the land below. Found Sounds are released on the middle Friday of the month, a little addition for listeners who want to feel that bit more immersed in nature. Ffern is an organic fragrance maker based in Somerset. You can learn more about Ffern's seasonal eau de parfum at ffern.co

In March’s episode we celebrate the spring equinox with a recipe for wild garlic salt, a stroll round the ancient woodland and a seasonal fairytale. Zoe brings us folk characters from the garden pond, while the Breath play 'Land of my Other', an uplifting song for spring. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musicians Ríoghnach Connolly and Stuart McCallum of The Breath. Geoff Bird produces and Catriona Bolt is Ffern's in-house production coordinator. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a guide to what to look out for in the month ahead - from the sky above to the land below. Ffern is an organic fragrance maker based in Somerset. You can learn more about Ffern's seasonal eau de parfum at ffern.co

In a Found Sound for February, Alice Boyd visits Norfolk to record the songs of late winter birds, travelling from woodland to wetland to ocean. Settle in for a relaxing ten minutes that will help you feel part of nature, wherever you are. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to RSPB Warden Ben Lewis. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendertz. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a guide to what to look out for in the month ahead - from the sky above to the land below. Found Sounds are released on the middle Friday of the month, a little addition for listeners who want to feel that bit more immersed in nature. Ffern is an organic fragrance maker based in Somerset. You can learn more about Ffern's seasonal eau de parfum at ffern.co

For February, we tell tales of birds and bad weather - and explore whose songs we might hear in the ancient woodland. The Breath sing 'Don't Rush It', reminding us to slow down during this short month, while elsewhere we visit peatlands and cook seasonal recipes from the garden.⁠ 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musicians Ríoghnach Connolly and Stuart McCallum of The Breath. Geoff Bird produces and Catriona Bolt is Ffern's in-house production coordinator. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a guide to what to look out for in the month ahead - from the sky above to the land below. Ffern is an organic fragrance maker based in Somerset. You can learn more about Ffern's seasonal eau de parfum at ffern.co

In a Found Sound for January, Alice Boyd visits Dartmoor to record the sounds of this wild place. Walking the windswept tors and woodlands, Alice explores the landscape's natural history, and looks towards its future. Settle in for a relaxing ten minutes that will help you feel part of nature, wherever you are. This episode was produced by musician and sound artist Alice Boyd, featuring music by herself and The Breath. Thanks go to Luke and Caroline of Collihole Farm. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with Lia Leendertz. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a guide to what to look out for in the month ahead - from the sky above to the land below. Ffern is an organic fragrance maker based in Somerset. You can learn more about Ffern's seasonal eau de parfum at ffern.co

For our first episode of 2024 we look at names for January, old and new. The ancient woodland is deep in its winter silence, but we find signs of life in glittering wood moss. Zoe Gilbert tells frosty tales and we hear the Romani story of 'Mossycoat' - while elsewhere we welcome Ríoghnach Connolly and Stuart McCallum of The Breath as this year's guest musicians. 'As the Season Turns' is a podcast created by Ffern in collaboration with the nature writer and author of the Seasonal Almanac, Lia Leendertz. Lia is joined by novelist Zoe Gilbert and folk musicians Ríoghnach Connolly and Stuart McCallum of The Breath. Geoff Bird produces and Catriona Bolt is Ffern's in-house production coordinator. Each episode, released on the first of the month, is a guide to what to look out for in the month ahead - from the sky above to the land below. Ffern is an organic fragrance maker based in Somerset. You can learn more about Ffern's seasonal eau de parfum at ffern.co

January. A Welsh carol for the new year. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys

February. A song to guard against heartbreak and bad weather. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys

March. A very old love song that mentions flowers, birds, melting waxen hearts - and, of course, death. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys

April. A song describing the beauty of the singer's love with the emerging flowers of April - but the singer's heart is as brittle as a dry reed. This is an example of 'old verses' - thousands of verses that can be fitted together in different combinations, all to the same melody. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

May. A Mayday wassailing song, written by a 17th-century poet who went by the name 'Eos Ceiriog' - the nightingale of the Ceiriog Valley. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

June. A song sung in Welsh schools - usually in a round - celebrating the return of the cuckoo. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

July. A joyous song that's often sung in the pub. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

August. A haunting love song comparing the singer's love, Gwen, to the flowers of summer - as birds of prey circle above. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

September. A threshing song, written by a farm hand, describing the excitement of the day the steam thresher came to the big farm. The Welsh word for September is 'Medi' which translates as 'reaping'. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

October. One of the many welsh words for Halloween is 'ysbrydnos' which means 'ghost/spirit night'. The singer describes himself tossing and turning in bed - then all of a sudden the ghost of his late lover appears, and starts conjuring up a fancy suit that floats in the air in front of him that he is to wear to go bury her. Very spooky. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

November. A popular 19th-century song that describes how wonderful and comforting the warm hearth and home is when the weather starts to turn, and the stormy heavens 'blow their bugles to signal in the coming of winter.' Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.

December. A very old Christmas song, 'On the Morning of Christmas Day' - likely 15th Century. Caneuon y Flwyddyn is an album of Welsh folk songs by Gwilym Bowen Rhys first compiled for the 2023 edition of As the Season Turns. Mastered for Ffern by Geoff Bird. Artwork by Gemma Koomen. © Gwilym Bowen Rhys.