For the Thoughtful Forager

We are so looking forward to visiting the English countryside again this spring. England in Springtime is idyllic and abundant with wild edibles to enjoy. We make sure to walk slowly, to spot our favorite wild greens, like wild garlic, 3-cornered leek, garlic mustard, wild mustard, cleavers, stinging nettle, lamb’s quarters, yarrow, chickweed, raspberry and blackberry leaf, and miners lettuce. We look to the mossy woodlands for mushrooms like oysters, wood ears, giant puffballs, lions mane and scarlet elf cups to cook up for lunch, and decaying branches covered in turkey tail and birch polypores to gather for tinctures and teas. We collect Spring flowers like elderflower, hawthorn, dandelion, magnolia, alexander, lilac and chive, and when we’re on the seaside, we look for sea kale, samphire, dulse and bladderwrack. When we forage, we make sure to leave much more than we harvest. As regenerative gardeners, we understand the importance of responsible harvesting for the benefit of the plant, and to maintain the fungal networks within the soil. If you’re going to be wild harvesting this spring, remember to only take what you need, and leave plenty for the bees.