The beginners guide to foraging

The best thing about winter time is undoubtably the foraging to be had. Now lets be clear I am not talking about going down to my local woods and chopping down whole trees or picking wild Daffodils and Bluebells. That's not legal or ethical and infact there have been an increasing number of prosecutions for foraging in banned areas.

With top chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall making foraging trendy, many businesses have sprung up over the years offering food foraging trips. From wild mushroom walks to eatweed! The New Forest even offers bushcraft & Foraging tours for small groups. Back in 2012 the sustainable food trust issued some guidelines to prevent the problem of over foraging. This is well worth the read if you are thinking about a spot of foraging.

I am lucky enough to rent an allotment plot which has plenty of foraging opportunities and in addition many of my friends seem to be quite alergic to gardening so I often find myself popping round for a glass of wine with my secatuers in my back pocket. For that I am truly grateful as this winter I have managed to forage Pampas grass, Bamboo canes, dried Gladioli stems, dried Yukka seadheads and all manor or various dried things.......

British winters offer very little in the way of flowers but their are so many other delights to be had. From Snowberries to evergreen foliage. Starting my business over winter time has really allowed me to experiement with this season and make the most of what I don't have. It has also made me think deeply about what I need to ensure I plant ready for next winter. For now I am left to play around with the crispy bits of last season to offer a little interest to my arrangements.

For more info on the Fuchsia Blooms story visit my blog MySecretLife.

#mysecretlife #Forager #florist #Hampshire #Flowerfarmer