Foraging a few carefully chosen pieces, sustainably and, of course, legally – is a truly joyful occupation, combining all the benefits of a darn good bimble, fresh air, the opportunity to take time to note your surroundings and the swiftly changing seasons, and the bonus of bringing a little of that experience home: a pocketful of twigs, cones and nuts; a wild bunch of bracken and evergreens.
I don’t gather edibles, only foliage, flowers, fruits and grasses. Often, I weave these into wreaths or find ways to preserve them for decoration, sharing my foraged pieces with followers on Instagram. Equally satisfying is a simple filled jam-jar, a little tied bunch of grasses, or a nature table. The time spent later researching and identifying finds adds an extra joy to this simple pleasure.
Foraging and the law:
The legislation around foraging is confusing and multi-faceted, but these principles will stand you in good stead:
- Only forage what you need for your use – not for profit or gain.
- Collect only wild-growing materials that you can pick from a footpath or public right of way, but not crops (for example, apples from an orchard are a no-go)
- Be aware of local bylaws and carefully avoid protected species.
- Take just a few pieces from any plant – we foragers suggest one in ten. Leave the other nine stems to spread and prosper.
- Mindfully gather, taking care not to trample plants.
- Never uproot wild plants.
- Forage just the four F’s: Fungi, Fruit, Foliage and Flowers.
- If you wander along the footpath and spy a lovely holly tree in a field, you’ll need the express permission of the landowner to collect your festive boughs.
I farm-forage with full permission and use the materials to make and sell wreaths all year round. It can work well if you’ve got a friend with land. In return for foraging privileges, I put on a Christmas wreath workshop for my kind benefactors- a little swap that makes everyone happy.
If you’re beginning your creative foraging journey, why not start with a pocketful of pinecones? Pop them into a bowl at home and study their intricate shape, or weave them into a wintery wreath.
Collect them on a dry day, when you can see their full potential and choose bright and clean cones – suggesting that they are fresh. A gentle shake to dislodge any seeds or insects is all they will require.
Couch to 5 Cones Guide
Not five but six cones! I couldn’t resist sneaking an extra one – the Western Hemlock – in at the end! This guide is a quick identifier to common local finds to help you when you are out and about:
1~ Sitka spruce: Commonly found in the Forestry England managed Mortimer Forest, fallen under the spiky silvery tree.
2~ Douglas fir: Equally common locally; look for bright examples, newly fallen.
3~Scots pine: The classic “pine cone” we have fewer around here. These close-ups are in damp conditions.
4~Larch: The little delight you’ll pick up in sprays under the tree as it sheds lower branches and much more fall in stormy conditions. Older sprays are brittle and dark but found fresh and still in leaf – there’s a flexibility and resilience that is totally different. Let the needles drop in your garden before adding to winter projects.
5~Norway Spruce: The large and long cones from the old-fashioned Christmas tree – the best one, in my opinion – fragrant and open-shaped
6 ~ Western Hemlock has the teeniest cones; they tend to drop in spring, and you’ll fill your pockets then. I’ve picked up a couple of branches of Western hemlock this week, full of these mini cones. If I allow the needles to fall (they will, and fast), I will be left with the woody stems studded with dozens of wee cones that will be fabulous in festive decorations.
Enjoy your bimble and #forageyourselfhappy
Kim Ralph is a Ludlow based creative forager. Sharing information about locally found wild grasses, berries, seed-heads, twigs and flowers. Seasonal updates and identification tips.
Inspiration and techniques for preserving your gathered materials to fill vases, create garlands, and weave them into wild wreaths.
Find Kim on:
Instagram: @wildlyforaging
Email : kimlralph@yahoo.co.uk
Also @theludlowflowerfarmer for seasonal workshops, dried garden-flower bunches and wreaths to purchase.
