I used to think that foraging for wild edibles was a country pastime if you ignore the odd blackberry or nettle growing here and there.
Then by chance I found Forage London online while doing some other stuff and got in contact about arranging a foraging trip together. John Rensten runs walks and courses at a number of parks in London along with some Fungi trips to the New Forest. The walks last about two and a half hours and cover how to safely pick and eat some of the plants that inhabit London’s green spaces. The overall aim being to promote safe and responsible urban foraging.
I joined John for a spot of foraging on a sunny but chilly day in Gillespie Park, N5 and this is a selection of what we found. There was more but I got distracted with trying various tasty plants and some items John brought with him that I forgot to take notes. (Note to self: Always take notes)
Wild Garlic
Garlic Mustard (Jack by the Hedge)
Lesser Celandine
Wood Avens (Herb Bennett)
John’s home-made Fruit Leather
I hope to join more Forage London walks in the future, where I will take better notes. You can see the walks on offer by checking out the Forage London website. Please forage sensibly
