I have written this brief profile as a result of some confusion on social media as to whether Field Horsetail Equisetum arvense is edible. And to whether there could be a problem with consuming too much of it. I list the research that I have briefly done, along with citing sources for traditional food use … Read more
When I first encountered Dandelion intimately, I fell in love instantly. Out came my camera, and clicking through the countryside I went, taking snapshots of sunbursts. Only to return to my computer and stare mesmerised at the wonderment in front of me. I’d blow up the flower pictures until my mind melted in the ecstasy that … Read more
Each year I set the intention to gather pine pollen, and each year I miss the season. That’s one of the frustrations about foraging. With so many plants out there, sometimes there just isn’t enough time to gather them all when they are at their best. Yet out of this frustration comes forth a delight. … Read more
A week or so ago I mentioned that I was pondering what to do with hawthorn berries. Something a little different to the usual sweet dishes that they are used in usually. At the weekend while out with the grand-urchins I gathered a small bag of hawthorn berries. I was wanting to experiment. If you’ve … Read more
Over the weekend the anarchists came to stay. Who could imagine that a couple of wild urchins aged two and four years old could cause such chaos in my house. When I entered the living room arms brimming with plants, it was as if a burglar had deliberately trashed my pad. My bliss-companion had been … Read more
Click here to get the Eatweeds newsletter each week, read by 8000+ foragers, herbalists and plant lovers. The rose family (Rosaceae) is a large clan of dozens of species and thousands of hybrids. It is one of the most famous flowers in the world prized for its beauty and fragrance. The Story of Rosehip Rose … Read more
You may or may not know that I never intended to teach foraging. Back in 2008 I met a man called Frank Cook. Frank was extraordinary. Not only as a plant walker, but as a human being too. Much of what you hear and see regarding plants in the foraging world came from his work. … Read more
Yesterday I told you about Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), and my desire to make it into a jelly. Well last night I finished the recipe. As the jars where cooling down, I wondered whether I would simply end up with a syrup rather than a jelly. Then this morning when I pottered into the kitchen, … Read more
I went out yesterday with my beloved on a quest for some lush rose hips. The sun was shining, the breeze cool, church bells ringing out in the distance, and the human world quiet and calm. It reminded me of when I was a boy. Of how Sunday’s used to feel before the advent of … Read more
Each morning I go outside and ponder the old oak that stands on the side of the road. Each morning I say a blessing to it. I’m beginning to shift my understanding of plants, even big plants like trees. No longer seeing them in gender specifics, but sensing into their being that which moves beyond … Read more
Gathering Wild Plants – 1968 Theft Act Section 4, subsection (3) A person who picks mushrooms growing wild on any land, or who picks flowers, fruit or foliage from a plant growing wild on any land, does not (although not in possession of the land) steal what he picks, unless he does it for reward … Read more