Foraging

Niamh O'Shea
Apr 17
3 min read

Updated: May 9

Foraging is the act of gathering what the land freely offers—food, medicine, nourishment.

It’s an ancient skill, once passed through generations without books or systems. People simply knew.

They recognised what was edible, what was poisonous, what to pick, and what to leave behind.

That knowing is still in you.

You only need to slow down and start again.

Foraging isn’t about collecting for the sake of it.

It’s about relationship.

Moving through the land with care, attention, and respect.

Learning to feed yourself without fear or urgency—just the quiet trust that the Earth provides.

How to Begin

Start small. Learn a few safe plants deeply before you try to recognise many.

Follow these three rules:

Only eat what you can confidently identify. If there’s any doubt, leave it.
Learn through the seasons. Plants change as they grow—get to know how they look in spring, summer, and decay.
Harvest with care. Never strip a patch bare. Always leave some for the land, the wildlife, and regrowth.

Foundational Wild Plants (UK)

These plants are widely available and deeply nourishing when used with care:

Nettles (Urtica dioica)

Found almost everywhere. Pick the young tops in spring wearing gloves.

High in iron, minerals, and protein. Cook in soups, teas, or use like spinach.

The sting disappears when boiled or dried.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

All parts are edible—bitter leaves, yellow flowers, and deep roots.

Use fresh leaves in salad or cook like greens.

Roast roots as a coffee alternative. Full of minerals and liver-cleansing properties.

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)

Appears in spring in damp, shaded woodland.

Crush a leaf — it should smell strongly of garlic.

Use leaves raw or cooked. Flowers are edible.

Caution: Never confuse with Lily of the Valley — learn the difference carefully.

Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Sticky spring plant that clings to clothing.

Use young shoots for cold infusions — helpful for lymph and skin.

Once flowering, it becomes fibrous — harvest early.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Young spring leaves are edible raw — once called “bread and cheese.”

In autumn, berries can be made into syrup or tea.

Supports heart health and the nervous system.

Foraging Through the Seasons

Spring: Young greens — nettle, dandelion, wild garlic, chickweed, cleavers

Summer: Flowers, tender leaves, early berries, lime leaves, yarrow

Autumn: Berries, nuts, rosehips, apples, hawthorn, roots

Winter: Pine needles for tea, stored roots, bark infusions

Each season brings something new.

What you find in April won’t be there in October.

This is the rhythm that brings you back to the year.

Where and How to Forage Safely

Avoid roadsides, sprayed fields, and dog-walk areas
Never forage from protected or private land without permission
Use a sharp knife or scissors — don’t pull plants up by the root
Leave more than you take
Don’t harvest from rare or struggling species
Always check local laws and wildlife protections

Ways to Use What You Gather

Brew teas or infusions from dried leaves and flowers
Add young greens to soups, broths, or stir-fries
Blend berries into syrups, ferments, or raw jams
Roast or dry roots for longer use
Keep a wild herb shelf and a foraging journal
Let your practice grow slowly — the learning is in the noticing

Practising the Skill of Foraging

Go outside just to look.

Bring a guidebook or take a photo. Sit near the plant. Smell it. Watch how it grows.

You can forage without picking — learning what grows near you is part of the practice.

Start with ten minutes a week.

The land will show you more, the more you show up.

When You’ve Remembered Foraging

You’ll begin to walk differently.

You’ll see wild garlic before it flowers. You’ll notice which leaves look full of life.

You’ll reach for nettles not in fear, but with thanks.

And you’ll know, deep down, that you are not separate from the land—you are part of it.

That is the remembering.