Showing posts with label Foraging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foraging. Show all posts

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

May Blossom and Elderflowers

Yesterday it was sunny enough for me to take my camera out, while I walked the dog.

I have a very basic camera, so the photos are not great,  but I  still wanted to share the beautiful May with you, and take the opportunity to show Elderflowers to my readers who may not know them!

You can find my recipe for Elderflower cordial here, and the recipe for Elderflower cakes here.

Elderflowers, I need about 30 of these to make
a batch of Elderflower Cordial

The May blossom is stunning

So many of the trees look beautiful
I can imagine Anne (of Green Gables) just adoring them!

The blossom is  everywhere

On both  trees and bushes

The buttercups were pleased to see the sunshine

The elderflowers were far  more difficult to see

Nestled up high in the branches

I'm going to need something, or someone, to help me
gather the elderberries when I go foraging!

They are so very pretty and delicate

If you can't find local elderflowers, then I suggest
you buy some cordial, the taste and smell will take
you straight to an English summer meadow,
and you will still be able to bake Elderflower cakes.

Monday, 3 October 2011

An organised Foraging Walk

Yesterday as it was so very hot, we decided that rather then get stuck in traffic, with everyone else  fleeing the city  into the countryside, we would go on a local foraging walk.  I had seen it advertised the week previously in one of those free newspapers that pop through the door.

It was great fun, although most of the fruits have finished, so it was a case of you could find blackberries, rosehips, apples, pears, etc, if you'd come earlier!

The man  who led the walk was very knowledgeable, he not only knew about the local Flora and Fauna, he was also able to give a history of "Ham Lands" and told us about "bat walks" in June, I'm certainly going to attend those next summer.  I often see them flitting about, but had no idea there was so many in this area.

I was impressed with the number of people interested in foraging


The apples are nearly all gone

and the rosehips

The blackberry bushes are empty

But I did find a mushroom,
However, I'm not knowledgeable so decided to leave it in the ground.




Today as a special treat for me, Richmond have decided to dig up the pavements right outside my house, during the hottest October heatwave in over a hundred years!

I know I should be glad, it will be lovely to have a new pavement.  (Although I'm also sure a utility company is waiting around the corner to come and dig it up and ruin its' beauty.)

So now I have a choice of windows closed and being hot, or windows open and the house being full of dust!  I've gone for option one, with the added advantage of the noise not being quite so loud!

A lovely drill was used to break up the pavement and concrete!

I'm not sure how to cross the road!

And just to make sure I (or my neighbours) can't park too near our houses
we have a store of sand and cement right across the road from us!

Blinds down, windows closed

Electric fan whirring!


Rather selfishly, I  wish it could have been done over the summer, whilst I was away!