Tuesday 15 June 2010

Tuesday 15th June 10

A good day, as spent some time with Gill in the morning and some gardening in the afternoon, before I went to school and brought our youngest home. I'm pleased that I now have an area nearly clear for the bee hives, and have spoken to both neighbours about it.

I had an early tea and at 6.15 headed quickly over to the Millennium Bridge to meet up with Guy and other Abundance/Transition types, to go on a cycle foraging expedition to Askham Bog.

Guy is very knowledgeable about edible plants and we kept on stopping to see something.
We found: lime tree leaves, garlic mustard, cleavers/sticky willy/goosegrass, Indian or Hymalayan balsam (sometimes known as 'policeman's helmet' because of the shape of the flowers), elder, birch (for the sap), oak (young acorns can be a coffee substitute), rose (hips in the autumn), nettles, burdock, horseradish, marsh thistle, hazel, bog myrtle, honeysuckle, fat hen, Japanese knotweed and sloes. Also the following inedible plants: royal fern, orchid, guelder rose, alder.

For me, it was a real treat to be taken to Askham Bog, as I'd never been there and it is a lovely place. I shall certainly revisit.

On the way back I showed a new friend, Clare (I think!) part of the Solar System sculpture trail and got back at about 9pm, with some sticks in the trailer.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

After yesterday's exploits, maybe you should keep away from "edible" wild plants, John!

Compost John said...

Why?