Join Waiting List
As the Season Turns
A Podcast by Ffern
Welcome to the Ffern podcast, As the Season Turns. Created in collaboration with Lia Leendertz, author of The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide, the podcast is now in its third edition. Released on the first of the month, each episode follows the changing landscape of the seasons - from the moon and the stars, to the tides and the trees.
May
For May, Lia visits the island of Skomer to explore its distinctive and abundant wildlife, and Alice stays overnight in the National Forest. We listen to nightingales and the dawn chorus, and hear a Mayday wassail from Gwilym. Zoe delves into the folklore of stitchwort and Lia looks out for seasonal plants in the garden.
April
In April's episode we learn about different degrees of sunrise, plant hardy annuals and make nests for bees. Zoe has foraged for Lady's Mantle, while in the pond the newts are out and about. Alice heads to Dover to record the sea, and we hear an Easter recipe for pace eggs. Gwilym plays 'Blodau'r flwyddyn', an example of 'old verses' - thousands of verses that can be fitted together in different combinations, all to the same melody.
March
For March, Lia begins with the equinox and ends with the phases of the moon. Zoe explores the mythology of seaweed and we visit a very special island in North Wales. Also in Wales, we hear the story of Blodeuwedd and Gwilym plays a very old love song, 'Lisa lân'. Lia goes back to seventeenth-century England to tell the little-known tale of the Diggers, and Alice heads underwater with her hydrophone.
February
February's episode explores the first, tiny shoots of spring - the snowdrops are opening, the frogs are breeding and Lia reminds us it's time to plant this year's chillis. We visit the Isles of Scilly for early narcissi, and the Mendip Hills for a rainstorm with Alice Boyd. Zoe Gilbert records her thoughts on snowdrops, and to close, Gwilym Bowen Rhys sings 'Ambell i gân', a song to guard against heartbreak and bad weather.
January
For January, we explore the magic of a winter sunrise. We break the ice on the garden pond and head to the park for a snowy soundscape recorded by Alice Boyd. Meanwhile, novelist Zoe Gilbert has much to tell about mugwort, and we visit Shetland for Up Helly Aa. To close, Gwilym Bowen Rhys plays 'Teg wawriodd boreddydd', a Welsh carol for the new year.
December 22
December's episode features a tree dressing ritual to light the winter dark. We spend a final moment with our oak tree and beehive, and hear some pointers for planting evergreen shrubs. We hear about Holda, an ancient winter goddess, listen to the songs of tiny wrens and mark the winter solstice.
November 22
For November, we lean into the darkening days with a focus on colourful leaves, bonfires and a bright bird of the month - the starling. We plant tulips, visit the Bridgwater Carnival and catch a glimpse the dark side of the moon.
October 22
In October, our oak tree's leaves are turning brown and beginning to fall. We revisit the bee hive as it prepares for winter, share a recipe for soul cakes, and explore traditions around Samhain. This month's candlelit ritual is for Halloween night - and in the meantime, look out for mushrooms, the season's finest fruit.
September 22
In September's episode, we consider the 'new year' feel of the month and celebrate the Harvest Moon. We go foraging for damsons and visit Britain's estuaries to look for wading birds. Jupiter is bright in the sky above, and this month's ritual helps us find balance as we move into Libra season.
August 22
In our August episode, we find out why leaves get darker as summer progresses. We hear the story of Lugh and the harvest and set intentions for the final third of the year in a breadmaking ritual. Up above, there is lots to see in the night sky; down below, we give some flower garden tips and visit our beehive.
July 22
For July, we explore the folk tradition of the Rose Queen. We mark the weather on St Swithin's Day, check in with the beehive and pick sweetpeas from the flower garden. The Wort Moon rises over July's rich greenery. And in the warm nights, we head outside for a spot of stargazing.
June 22
In our June episode, gooseberries are ripening in the kitchen garden, our birds of the month are cooing from the treetops and the beehive is entering its busiest and most prosperous season. We perform a love ritual, explore the traditions surrounding midsummer bonfires and ask why the midsummer moon is low while the midwinter moon is high.
May
In May's episode, our oak tree is finally in leaf! We investigate Maytime traditions, make elderflower mead from Finland and anticipate a total lunar eclipse. This month's ritual involves bathing your face in pre-dawn dew; and we set out some tips for your flower garden and hanging baskets.
April 22
For April, we search for signs of spring - brimstone butterflies, wild garlic, cuckoos. A Ukrainian folk tale explains why April weather is so volatile, while this month's ritual might help you come to terms with the flashes of rain and sunshine that characterise this time of year.
March 22
For our March episode, we climb high into the sky with our bird of the month, the skylark. We make a pilgrimage to the Isles of Scilly and look for boxing hares. We check in with our oak tree as it prepares for spring and we perform our own springtime ritual: gifting seeds for the equinox.
February 22
In February's episode, we make a St Brigid's Day pilgrimage from Faughart to Kildare, exploring the links between Brigid, Imbolc and Candlemas. We plant bulbs 'in the green', find out what's in season and check in with our oak tree, who is providing safe harbour for some bright winter visitors.
January 22
For our first episode of 2022, we begin a year-long acquaintance with the English oak. We head inside the beehive, explore the history of wassailing, and follow the epic migration of the humpback whale. We find out what's in season and check in with winter's brightest bird: the robin. Wassailing Words: “Here’s to thee, old apple-tree, Whence thou may’st bud, and whence thou may’st blow, And whence thou may’st bear apples enow Hats full! caps full! Bushel-bushel-sacks full, And my pockets full, too, huzza!”
December 21
For December, we go carolling for the full moon and enjoy the midwinter charm of Christmas roses. We make a pilgrimage to Stone Henge for the winter solstice, follow the redwing's migration patterns, and touch upon the different types of frost.
November 21
For our colourful November episode, we celebrate winter's brightest flowers, chrysanthemums. We share a recipe for bonfire toffee apples, explore nature's November fireworks - the Leonids meteor shower - and spend time with the remarkable Atlantic salmon, who will be swimming upriver this month.
October 21
For October, we follow the vast, though little understood migration of the European eel. We hear the tale of Merlin's apples, ponder why October's full moon is known as the Hunter's Moon, and wonder when the first frosts will reach us.
September 21
In September's episode, we track the slow drift into autumn. Hearing a tale of Ganesh and the moon, we explore the names for September's full moon, the Harvest Moon. We visit the border between France and Switzerland for a very special cheese, follow the migrations of Nathusius' pipistrelle bats, and encounter the spirit of the corn.
August 21
For our August episode, we trace the epic migrations of dragonflies along with the rasping music of the grasshopper chorus. We discuss the wonders of the Perseids meteor shower (look up on the 13th and 14th of this month) and walk through a garden meditation for August.
July 21
In this episode, we celebrate the rich offerings of July, the 'Month of the Hay'. We check in on the hedgerows, discover the delights of oxeye daisies, and explore what's happening in the skies this month, reflecting on the names for July's full moon.
June 21
For our June episode, we plan for summer. We revisit the dormice and hedgehogs we saw nesting in earlier months, hear of the epic migrations of painted lady butterflies, learn about the best methods for making jam and explore the folk traditions surrounding midsummer.
May 21
For the May episode of our podcast, we explore the changing hedgerows, the traditions and folklore surrounding May Day, how primroses can help to ward off fairies, the return of the swallows and the names of the month's full moons: Mother’s Moon, Bright Moon and Flower Moon.
April 21
For April, we explore the traditional names for the month, the changing hedgerows, the beauty of the bluebell, how to navigate by the crescent moon and why decorated eggs came to be associated with Easter.
March 21
For the March episode, we explore the traditional names for the month, the moons and the tides, the types of nest each bird is building, how to help hedgehogs as they emerge from hibernation and the history and folklore surrounding the humble daffodil.
February 21
For February, we explore the Romani name for the month, why it is the time for plans and new beginnings, the blue tit’s mating rituals, the migration of the toad and the moons that will grace our night sky. Each of the monthly chapters in Lia’s almanac ends with a folk song - for February Lia brings one to life, singing a traditional shanty.
January 21
For January, we explore the origins of the month’s name, the moons and the tides, the changing hedgerows, the traditions surrounding the first day of the new year and the different types of snow.