My gardening world
Ray Mears
Ray Mears is a woodsman, author and TV presenter who specialises in wildlife, bushcraft and survival techniques. He teaches courses to help others master the skills of traditional wilderness travel. He lives with his partner in Sussex
How do you use your garden?
We love eating and cooking on a fire or barbecue. Our garden is a clearing in the wood, where we planted native hedgerows and lime trees that had been removed. We juice apples from a couple of trees we have. We have plenty of wildlife to watch – the hedgehogs are doing well this year due to the reduced traffic and I’ve seen nightingales and spotted flycatchers.
What do you love cooking outside?
On the barbecue, an apple on a stick. It gets soft and sweet like a baked apple, wonderful on a cold day. Watch the apple as you roast it, as this understanding of the process makes you a better cook, indoors and out.
What are your earliest nature memories? Nature has been a constant for me. Plants have been the focus of my life – they are a handle to other cultures. I see a pharmacy and larder where others see weeds. People call me an expert, but I am always learning.
Which wild plants are the most useful? You can collect sap from birch trees to drink, and make a tea from the leaves and twigs. Willow can be used to make string, for lighting fires and boiled up to make aspirin. Burdock can be used as firelighters or cook the leaves to eat.
And the tastiest common wild plant? Wood bittercress, which is cress-like in flavour. It is great in salads and if you have a damp spot
in the garden you can easily grow it, just trim off the flowerbuds and it won’t go bitter.
How can we encourage children to go outside more?
The most important thing we can teach them is how to be silent and still in nature – it is key to a hidden world. Nature will then come to reward you, such as bumping into a baby deer. If you’re not quiet, then you miss it all.
What can gardeners do to help wildlife? If you can, have an apple tree. Every gardener contributes massively to helping nature, as each tiny garden all adds up. And we should tolerate a bit of chaos in our gardens – nature loves a rough patch.
How does spending time surrounded by nature benefit you?
We all spend time in nature, the difference is noticing it. Lockdown helped us understand how important green spaces are for our psychological well-being. It has helped me establish my equilibrium this year, because nature is a constant in an uncertain world.
Ray’s new book, Wilderness Chef: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Outdoors, is out now (Conway, £20)