'The Song of the Sloe Fairy'

When Blackthorn blossoms leap to sight,
They deck the hedge with starry light,
In early Spring
When rough winds blow,
Each promising
A purple sloe.

And now is Autumn here, and lo,
But ah, how much
Too sharp these plums,
Until the touch of Winter comes.

Cicely Mary Barker.

Only this year there has been an early glut of Sloes-which can be turned into a delicious gin or liqueur. The summer storms which have brought spells of heavy rain have enabled the hedgerows to fruit much earlier than usual. The soaking has tricked blackthorn trees into thinking that Autumn has already arrived.

Blackthorn trees flower in Spring and sloe berries usually appear around mid September.....a good four weeks early this year.

Sloes are members of the same family as plums, cherries and peaches.

We used to pick Sloes every year for a colleague of Pete's who made gin with them. This lady also made our daughter's beautiful wedding cake. Happy memories!