No 'novice guide' to British seasonal edible findings?

[Samon]

Yo,

You know what I mean. ^

A simple guide for us noobs to find out what seasonal/monthly treats start to become ready to find and harvest.

Not a detailed list of each specimen the isles behold but a sort of top 5 list for each season and/or months. Just so it can be easily read, followed and enjoyed, without having to dedicate ourselves to a mountain of large books.. (lazy guide?)

I'm by no means the man to start any entries.. so would it be possible for you guys who are actually smart and well read to pass on your knowledge?

Everyone chip in here with some hints n tips, reccomendations of stuff then someone start a new thread with the compiled list of bits etc for the readers to have as a sticky.

Advanced stuff can also be added but generally the first page or so for the absics to get in tune with would be grand.



Cheers dudes

 

[Toddy]

I think that's a very good idea.
My only issue is that what's growing down south isn't always what's available up here….and vice versa.

How about we start a photo thread of what folks have found growing 'now' and keep that up to date ?

The photo must be posted within 24/48 hours of being taken, it must be of only one plant at a time (avoids confusion) and must be named and the area it was growing mentioned.

Something like

19/1/2015
Bittercress
South Lanarkshire.

Hairy bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta, also known as land cress. Edible raw, tastes peppery green. A nice munchy, good in a salad or sandwich too. Loses a lot of flavour when cooked but can make a passable watercress type soup. Best eaten young.
Can be confused in Springtime with Lady's smock and the wavy cress, both of which are edible.
Rich in vitamin C it's an old famine herb and one of the green foods that over winter in the UK. It's small, but it's tasty. It's a prolific weed in the right situation though.


Is this the kind of thing you meant, Samon ?

M

 

[Goatboy]

Sounds good and it would be interesting if we follow Toddys suggestion to see the difference north to south & east to west. I certainly see a big difference not only due to being further north but also the couple of hundred feet of elevation makes to ripening times.
Despite the thick layer of snow at my door I've an edible crop of herb Robert growing there. Will attempt some pictures tomorrow.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Johnie]

I love the idea of that thread like.

 

[Samon]

Toddy, I think your idea is good. I wasn't sure how different each part of the isle is tbh. I hoped it would be a simple month/season go to..

With that in mind, I think a less simplified top X yummies would be needed. A time stamp would also be good too.

I was thinking a go to selection of edibles would be good for return reading/finding. Otherwise it would be a large list and quite conviluted. Maybe a more eductaed person could section up the island so that similar findings can be had. Like North, East, South, West etc. Region, geography, time and date etc.

But any form of reference with the best/top species per area would be nice. I do have books and stuff with it all in there, but not in a noob friendly format per month/area.

 

[Toddy]

I've just been out and taken some photos

I take your point, especially re the simplicity.
I think we could still do it, just keep it a fresh running of posts though. "This is growing here, now", kind of thing, and, "It's edible/useful and give a few details of any other plants that are also growing now that might be confusing, if possible".
I found some of the young lady's smock just for comparison. So really, I have two plants, then I found dockens too, and mallows, both just starting to sprout, so I'm up to four

The dockens are next to foxgloves and you really don't want to confuse those, though the mallows are not far from Lady's mantle and that's not so bad, iimmc.

Is this the kind of detail you want ?

M

 

[Johnie]

Yeah toddy I think that sounds good. Mostly because it's just good to have something to aim for in the now, then I find it's easier to recognise when you've found it once. So if you go looking as you see it posted, it cuts out that wild goose chase feeling. After that you have a very good idea, then you can apply it to books with a double check

 

[Toddy]

Aye, keep it relevant, keep it present, and as the thread shifts along it's always up to date. Doesn't matter if there are duplicates, it's all fresh, now, kind of thing

Quite looking forward to seeing what everyone's finding

M

 

[Fraxinus]

Is this to be a new thread or a continuation of this one? The thread title may need changing if a continuation.
Great idea for a thread anyway you look at it though

Rob.

 

[Johnie]

Ayye exactly that

 

[Toddy]

Samon?

It's your idea
Away and start a new thread. Lay out the idea/ground rules, and I'll repost mine on the bittercress with the photos I have

M

 

[Samon]

I'm thinking a format like so..

.Name of specimen
.image of your own or stock pic'
.be in the same month it can actually be found
.N,S,E,W of Britain it can be found at and the nature of the find site i.e grass field etc
:edibility/use description.

Then a simple list of your few favourites for each time the month changes. So it works more like a calander to remind us of things that are available, rather a massive list of alphabetised specimens.. like the books I have that I haven't managed to finish reading cuz my attention span is aweful.



Someone with more tech/writing/ knoweledge and savvy may start the new thread, it'll be easier than waiting for me to sober up or manage to write something that makes sense.

 

[Xylophile]

i really like this idea, might be nice to draw up a sort of bingo card so the kids can get in on the fun

 

[MilkTheFrog]

Interested to follow this. I always liked that the Roger Phillips guide was organised by month but it can be a bit overwhelming if you're just looking for edibles.

 

[Samon]

Something like

19/1/2015
Bittercress
South Lanarkshire.

Hairy bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta, also known as land cress. Edible raw, tastes peppery green. A nice munchy, good in a salad or sandwich too. Loses a lot of flavour when cooked but can make a passable watercress type soup. Best eaten young.
Can be confused in Springtime with Lady's smock and the wavy cress, both of which are edible.
Rich in vitamin C it's an old famine herb and one of the green foods that over winter in the UK. It's small, but it's tasty. It's a prolific weed in the right situation though.


M

I think that's a perfect example of how an entry shoud be done!

 

[Brynglas]

There can be quite a variance depending on where you are in the UK but nevertheless a good thread.

 

[Robson Valley]

Can the UK be divided into biogoeclimatic zones? That should be the very first entry for any plant.

British Columbia has more diversity than all the rest of Canada, combined. Yet, it has been done.
For example, I live in the ICH (Interior Cedar Hemlock) zone. All of the rest of the plants, shrubs and trees
are quite straight forward to lay out.

The diversity of edibles is outstanding, as well.