F lowerpot foraging

GROWING YOUR OWN WILD PLANTS MEANS THEY’RE ON HAND WHEN YOU WANT THEM IN THE KITCHEN AND WILDLIFE LOVES THEM, TOO

I’ ve always considered a foray into the wild in search of food to be good for the mind, body and soul. So why, then, grow wild food at home? Well, there have been times recently when venturing out has been a luxury. started my collection over three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic, with a little pot of wood sorrel. If I couldn’t forage for it in the wild, I’d forage for it in the garden. Horseradish and water mint were planted soon after, as were the first dandelion and perennial wall rocket seeds. It wasn’t long until I could harvest my first wild ingredients. Every new seedling or shoot brought with it the sense that this was a positive way to garden at any time, in any place.

Foraging with restraint has never been more important. Perhaps we should be adding to the ecosystem, rather than taking from it? Since I’ve been growing wild plants in the garden, the increase in wildlife has been notable, from honeybees around borage flowers, in search of nectar, to wood pigeons hanging around the chickweed trug, hoping for a quick snack. Many of the plants I grow are native, after all, so it makes perfect sense that they’re attractive to local wildlife. And I can usually spare a little of my crop and still have more than enough left to eat.

Dandelion

Dandelions* are one of the first plants to flower in early spring, when many bees are beginning to emerge from hibernation. The flowers are a good source of food for them, as well as for beetles, butterflies and hoverflies.

Grow: Dandelions are incredibly easy to grow and will crop all year round if sown indoors (wait until the frosts have passed if growing outside). Sow seeds onto pre-watered compost, then lightly cover with soil.

Thin seedlings to 10cm apart if growing for buds, flowers and roots; don’t thin them if you’re growing for young leafy greens. Dandelion leaves can be bitter, which isn’t to everyone’s taste. Reduce bitterness by covering the plants with a large cloche or pot, to block out all light. Leave for a couple of weeks, but keep the pot watered; this will blanch the leaves, turning them pale and reducing astringency.

Eat: All of the plant is edible – roots, leaves, flower buds and flowers. Roots can be used in teas, thinly sliced, or chopped and used in stir-fries. Flowers and young leaves make for a welcome addition to salads. Leaves can also be sautéed, and are good with bacon.

* Turn to page 127 for how to make a nettle and dandelion frittata.

Watercress

Watercress spills out of shallow streams and shady pond edges for most of the year. I’d love to collect a bowlful, give it a quick rinse and eat it. Sadly, this is rarely an option. Liver fluke is a tiny, but serious parasite that infects livestock; water can host it via run-off from fields, and humans can become infected by eating uncooked wild watercress. Luckily, watercress is incredibly easy to grow at home, so it’s safe to eat, and is at its best immediately after picking. Grow: Sow in early spring. Fill a shallow pot with compost, then give it a good soaking. Scatter seeds thinly over the wet soil, then cover with a thin layer of vermiculite or compost. Sit the pot in a shallow tray or container of water, to keep the soil wet and in partial shade. Change the water once or twice a week to keep it fresh and bacteria-free. Eat: Watercress has a peppery kick and there are few salads that don’t benefit from its inclusion. It has an affinity with red meat (steak, particularly), but also pairs well with fish, such as salmon or trout.

Wild garlic (Ramsons)

Ramsons are easy to grow in a pot or container. I use an old bucket with a few holes drilled in the base, but anything will do as long as the soil is kept moist and they’re out of direct sunlight. Grow: Ramsons can be grown from seed, but it takes several years to return a decent crop.

It’s better to establish a colony of plants in a large pot by planting bulbs. Plant the bulbs in autumn and place in a shady corner of the garden; ensure the soil doesn’t dry out over the winter, but also that the bulbs don’t sit in soggy soil. Shoots should be visible in early spring. Eat: Young leaves are better for eating raw, while older leaves are good for cooking or blitzing into sauces. Flowers are great to scatter over salads and risottos. Bulbs can be harvested in autumn and used like garlic cloves, but that will reduce your crop the following spring.

Marsh samphire

It’s 37 miles to my nearest patch of wild marsh samphire, and while I’m dedicated to foraging, a two-hour round trip means it’s seldom on the menu. I know, I know, samphire is available in supermarkets, but Salicornia europaea should be a vibrant, almost citrus green, with a sweet saline crunch that you only get when eating it just-picked. All it takes is a little TLC and you can grow and eat it anywhere. Grow: Sow samphire seeds in April (they can be bought online, try sarahraven.com). About a week before planting, fill a seed tray with multipurpose compost. Stir 1 heaped teaspoon of unrefined sea salt and 1 teaspoon of organic liquid seaweed into 1 litre of water, then water the tray. Repeat daily. This helps establish a salty environment prior to sowing and increases the chances of germination. Sow the seeds evenly across the tray, then cover with a thin layer of compost. Leave in a warm sunny spot, watering daily with the salt/seaweed solution. Germination can take 20 days or longer. Transfer seedlings to larger pots once they are 2–3cm high. Position in full sun. Eat: Samphire works well with seafood. Briefly soften in a little butter and serve with fish such as bass and dover sole, or steam with shellfish such as mussels and clams.

Nettles

Nettles* are a true cut-and-comeagain crop; once established, they’ll repeatedly send up new shoots after harvesting

– it’s why many people look upon them as a troublesome weed. Left unmanaged, they can quickly take over, but grown in pots or containers they’re easy to keep in check.

Grow: Sow nettle seeds in spring after the last frost. Position in a bright, sunny spot and water regularly. Be patient; while it may seem at odds with the plant’s ubiquity, nettle seeds can take over a month to germinate. Eat: Infuse nettle leaves in hot water to make a refreshing tea (the leaves lose their sting, so there’s no need to worry about risking a stung lip). Leaves can also be steamed and sautéed and used in place of spinach in a variety of recipes, blitzed raw in smoothies or juiced.

“Every new seedling brought with it the sense that this was a positive way to garden, at any time, in any place”