Do we really see what grows along our hedgerows, or are we so busy that every little leaf or plant looks the same? Many of us are so busy with life that we forget there are some fascinating plants and veg that grow right on our doorstep without us having planted a single seed!
Living rurally helps to see things around us in perspective and gives us the opportunity to appreciate that we should never take our wild vegetation for granted. However, not all of us have the pleasure of living in the country so I would like to introduce you to some of the edible wild veg that grows so close at hand.
As a young girl, I used to go blackberry picking in the Autumn months. (Some folk call it bramble picking!) Pot or suitable container in hand, plus a fine pair of gloves and possibly a walking stick (to pull the bramble branches closer to you when picking), I would happily spend a few hours walking the lanes and reaping the rewards of heavy-laden bramble bushes. I was not the greatest at making jams, but between us, my mother and I would do our best to make a few pots, and leave some of the blackberries aside to have as a dessert with a little fresh cream. This was my first lesson in what grew along our hedgerows.
We also used to find the odd cluster of fresh watercress along the little streams, which we would take home, wash well and add them to a sandwich.
Of course, as I grew into teenage years and started entering into a new phase in my life, the attraction to take as much notice of what was growing along the hedgerow no longer seemed to be so important. However, what my mother had taught me, had given me enough foundation for it never to leave me, and today I am enjoying, once again, the search for what edible vegetation there is for free.
Even if you do live in a city or large town where the opportunity to take a leisurely walk along a leafy country lane to spy out the wild edible plants is not immediately available, this little personal site lends, from a lay person's view, a little knowledge of what is there.
