THE JOY OF FORAGING

With escalating food costs, any produce we can grow at home or forage for is to be welcomed. Every spring, our Somerset woodland is carpeted in wild garlic, with its pungent green leaves that add flavour to risottos or stir-fries and make a delicious butter. Wild garlic is pretty easy to spot due to its strong scent, but if you’re foraging for edible plants, it’s always best to learn from an experienced guide. On a two-hour foraging walk, I discover how to pick nettles for making soup and bread without getting stung (a firm grip), and learn how to tell a poisonous hemlock from abundant cow parsley. I pick and nibble at lots of little leaves with different flavours and medicinal benefits. It’s enjoyable to wander at a slower pace, pause and observe the hedgerows that I normally stride past. Studies show that the simple act of noticing nature is especially effective in unlocking the mental health benefits, and it’s all there waiting to be discovered.

TRY THIS Forage for edible flowers and berries to decorate cakes, salads and cocktails. Look out for mallow with its pretty purple flowers, meadowsweet (found near water), wild strawberries, wild rose and nasturtium.

For guidance, read The Hedgerow Apothecary Forager’s Handbook by Christine Iverson (Octopus, £10.99), a month-by-month guide to foraging, with lots of ideas on how to make the most of your bounty.