The NHBS Seed Sowing Calendar: January-March

Planting and watching seeds grow is one of the most rewarding parts of having an outdoor space. From a young age I can vividly remember chilly winter trips to the garden centre, picking out different bulbs and seeds to plants in time for spring, followed by an agonising wait for the last few frosts to pass to allow us to start planting. This patience was however rewarded with my favourite task – exuberantly poking a million holes in compost-filled trays – before carefully sowing the seed in the soil and gently covering them in a blanket of compost.

To this day, I still get just as excited when spring is around the corner, and I can finally turn my wintery, plain garden into a hub of vibrant flowers and wildlife. But with so many different bulbs and seeds out there, all of which working to very different schedules, it can sometimes be overwhelming when thinking about where to start, what to sow when, and where.

Here, we provide a detailed Seed Sowing Calendar to make sure you’re on-track for those beautiful spring blooms in just a few months time.

Close up of lots of Sweet Peas in mixed colours including pink, fusia, purple and white. — Sweet Peas by the Walled Garden 02 by Sam Saunders, via flickr.

January:

January is still very much in the grasp of winter, so most seeds sown outside will perish due to the cold and frosts – therefore it is recommended that seeds are planted in trays or pots that can be kept in an enclosed greenhouse or indoors in a warm, dry, sunny place to ensure successful germination.

Sowing this early in the year means that you’re more likely to get a good, healthy crop come springtime, but it does require a lot of patience and attentiveness.

Sweet peas – Lathyrus odoratus

Sweet peas are one of my favourite flowers and produce vibrant, fragrant blooms in a range of stunning colours. They are natural climbers, therefore they should be grown up a cane, netting or trellis, and can reach approximately 2m in height. Seeds should be planted 1cm deep in trays or individual pots filled with compost in late winter (January – February) and watered 2-3 times a week. As soon as the last frost is over, and the soil is loose and pliable, transfer the seedlings outside. When the plants are tall enough to reach the canes, manually wrap the stems securely, but gently, around them – the plants will naturally take to climbing the higher they grow.

Carnations – Dianthus caryophyllus

Carnations produce small, fringed flowers on long stems and should be grown in small to medium pots or planters with good drainage. The seeds should be planted about 0.5 cm deep, in potting soil or compost, covered in a layer of soil and pressed down firmly. Place them in a warm, sheltered space inside and water 2-3 times a week using a spray bottle. When the seedlings reach 5cm tall, transfer outside after the frost has passed.

You can also sow carnations directly into the garden once the frosts are over, normally in late April, however it’s unlikely they will bloom the first year if they are sown this late in the spring.

Lobelia – Lobelia erinu

Lobelias are beautiful, colourful little bedding plants that are very hardy and will produce flowers from early summer to mid autumn. They are easy to start indoors, and need well drained, loose soil to thrive. Sow the tiny seeds liberally across the surface of the soil in a large seed tray, cover loosely with a thin layer of compost, and gently press down to ensure the seeds are fully covered. Place the tray in a warm, sunny position and water with a light mist. Ensure the soil stays moist while the seeds are growing inside and transfer into the garden once the frosts have ended.

Close up photograph of orange and red tagetes (french marigolds). — Tagetes patula by Tacowitte, via flickr.

February:

February is the ideal time to start sowing most summer bedding plants, as well as perennials that grow year on year. Due to the colder temperatures, it’s recommended that most flower seeds are still grown inside to begin with.

French Marigolds – Tagetes patula

Marigolds are very easy flowers to grow and are equally easy to maintain once they’re bedded into the garden. Fill a tray with compost and press the seeds 1cm deep into the soil, then cover lightly with another thin layer. Plant each seed 5cm apart to allow for growing room, and water every couple of days to keep the soil moist – but not soggy. You can then plant the seedlings outside in early spring (mid to late March) in pots, planters, beds or hanging baskets when they are a few inches tall and the weather is milder. Marigold seeds can also be planted directly outside, but you should wait until late spring (April – May) or early summer (May – June) to do so, otherwise they may not germinate in the cold weather.

Snapdragons – Antirrhinum majus

Snapdragons are bright, annual plants that come in a wide range of colours and heights, and attract an array of garden insects. They require a lot of light to germinate, so make sure you don’t cover the seeds with too much soil. Simply put the seed on top of the soil in a tray, cover with a very thin layer of compost and compress with your hand, before watering once a week. Place in a warm, very sunny location and, if sown in one large tray, thin the crop to one seedling per pot when the seedlings have developed 2-3 leaves. Snapdragons can be transferred into the garden after the final frost of spring and should be spaced 30cm apart to give them enough room to grow into full blooms.

Wild Flower Bed showing a mix of pink, white, yellow and purple flowers. — Wild Flower Bed by Pete Sandbach, via flickr.

March:

By the time March comes around, the soil is slowly starting to warm up and frosts are a lot less frequent. During this time, some of the toughest flowers can be sown directly outside, as well as summer-flowering bulbs.

Cornflowers – Centaurea cyanus

Cornflowers are small, vibrant blue flowers that grow best in full sunshine. They can tolerate freezing temperatures, so these seeds can be planted outside throughout the winter. If you are planning to sow Cornflowers nearer spring, plant the seeds straight into soil or planters about 5cm apart and 1cm deep, and water once every 3–4 days. Cornflower seeds are loved by many garden birds, so to make sure your hard work isn’t wasted, ensure they are covered with a good layer of compact soil.

Cornflowers take approximately 10 weeks to flower if they are planted in spring, so these beautiful flowers will brighten up your garden in no time!

Wildflower mixes (native)

Late March is the perfect time to plant your mixed wildflower seeds to produce a beautiful range of native flowers, colours and scents, and most importantly provide food, shelter and habitats for key pollinators such as bees. Wildflowers are best sown straight outside in large beds or planters. Break up any large lumps of soil, then generously sprinkle the seed mix before carefully raking over the seeds, ensuring they are fully covered up. Gently water the area after planting, ensuring that you don’t dislodge the seeds with too much water, and watch them bloom!

Water your wildflower garden twice a week to ensure the soil doesn’t dry out, particularly over the hot summer months.

If you are keen to begin your wildflower garden early, you can plant them in February if the weather remains mild and dry.

Cosmos – Cosmos Bipinnatus

Cosmos can be grown both inside and outside, and thrive is sunny areas of the garden. They germinate very quickly and produce vibrant, tall flowers. If you prefer to start your flowers inside, yielding blooms in early summer, sow the seeds in individual pots in mid to late March in fresh, loose compost. Each seed should be 2mm deep in the soil and should be covered in a thin layer of compost. Place the individual pots or trays into a larger seed tray and water from below. Transfer into beds in the garden four to six weeks later, or after the last frost.

If you prefer the ease of planting seeds directly outside, or are a little late to the party, wait until the weather is mild and drier in early May before scattering the seeds straight onto evenly raked soil and covering lightly. Water every few days until the plants are well established, but be careful not to overwater as this will cause fewer buds to grow on each plant.

Small green seedling in a terracotta pot in compost. — Mystery seedling by Joe Lipson, via flickr.

Top Tips:

– Make sure to label your seed trays or pots if you’re growing a variety of different seeds at once, as it is very easy to get mixed up!

– Ensure that any seeds grown inside are only kept in moderately warm places – too hot a temperature, such as by a radiator, can cause the seeds to perish, so it’s recommended to take advantage of sunny windowsills and French doors instead.

– It can be beneficial to ‘pinch out’ bedding plants in the early stages of growth to ensure they focus their energy on big, strong, bushy blooms, rather than becoming tall and leggy. This helps produce side shoots that should all bear flowers, but it is advisable not do so until the seedlings have grown at least two sets of leaves or you risk damaging the plants. To pinch out a plant, gently cut the growing tips just above the side shoots, repeating on as many stems as you wish until it resembles the shape you’re after

– Even if you miss the opportunity to start growing your seedlings inside, it’s rarely too late to grow your seeds if they are in season. Instead, you can plant them straight outside when the milder weather arrives, and will simply have later blooms – so you can enjoy beautiful flowers during the summer months instead.

Author interview with Peter Marren: Rare Plants

Featuring hundreds of stunning photographs, the 14th volume in the British Wildlife Collection explores the meaning of rarity in our changing world and climate. It discusses the importance of these species in our landscape, provides an overview of different conservation techniques, examines the justifications for intervening in the life of a wild species and more.

Peter Marren is a natural history writer and conservationist whose wildlife-centred writing portfolio includes newspaper journalism, obituaries, book reviews and humorous opinion pieces. He was a regular contributor to British Wildlife magazine for 33 years and is the author of more than 20 books, including Bugs Britannica, After They’re Gone, and Mushrooms – the first title in the British Wildlife Collection series.

We recently chatted with Peter about Rare Plants, where we discussed how he first became interested in botany, why he chose to focus on rare species, what inspired him to return to the British Wildlife Collection and more.

Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you became interested in botany?

I have been interested in wild flowers since boyhood. I was lucky enough to have had a rural childhood, but my first serious attempt to track down rarities was during my gap year when I tried to find every British species of orchid. I failed.

What I love about flowers is that they evoke so much about our surroundings, the colour and texture of the landscape, its land-use and history, and its seasonality. Rare flowers in particular express the fine tuning of nature, and their presence suggests that here we are standing in a special place – one that, for whatever reason, has changed less, has perhaps preserved more of its naturalness, more stability. They are also wonderful in themselves. Orchids, for instance, trick and confuse insects into doing their bidding. Our alpine flowers are living links with the Ice Age. Bluebells have a scent that is impossible to reproduce chemically. These are some of the reasons why I love field botany.

Your first contribution to the British Wildlife Collection was the first monograph in the series, Mushrooms, which was published in 2012. What inspired you to return to this renowned series for the 14th volume?

I returned to the series because Katy, who edits the titles, asked me to! In the 1990s I wrote a book in association with Plantlife and the then English Nature, titled Britain’s Rare Flowers (1999). The rights are now owned by Bloomsbury, who publish the British Wildlife Collection, and she suggested that I revise the book for the series. It didn’t take long for a revision to turn into a completely new book, and I broadened the scope from angiosperms to wild plants in general, including pteridophytes, bryophytes and algae, and to Ireland as well as Great Britain – hence, Rare Plants. I dedicated it to my old friend, the plant photographer Bob Gibbons and his partner Libby, and half the 300-odd images are his.

Cottonweed (Achillea maritima) by Liam Lysaght, via flickr.

Why did you decide to focus on rare plant species for this book?

I concentrated on rarities partly because they are the focus of conservation efforts, and partly because they are the highlight of any excursion (as botanical trips are known). Rare plants have more ‘geography’. If only you knew enough, you could probably place yourself exactly where you are in the landscape without recourse to a map simply by looking at the plants. Britain is that kind of place: intimate, complex, infinitely varied. Above that, there’s the eternal thrill of tracking down a rarity, whether it’s a flower, or a bird, or a Ming vase. If you love plants, then setting your eye for the first time on an elusive species you have long known about and pictured in your mind is a moment to savour. As I hope I communicated in my book, Chasing the Ghost.

This is an incredibly well-researched and detailed book that covers all aspects of Britain and Ireland’s flora, from the uniqueness of some species and details on why plants become rare, to their role and representation within our culture. What was the most interesting aspect of researching this book?

What I enjoyed most when researching Rare Plants (and it was quite an enjoyable book generally) was the impressive new work on apomictic plants, that is, the ones that do without sex and so perpetuate minute differences. It helps that whitebeams and hawkweeds are not only beautiful in themselves, but tend to grow in beautiful landscapes. I was also enthralled by all the activity in the world of mosses and liverworts, mapping them in the same detail as ‘higher’ plants and getting them onto the conservation agenda. Some species have incredibly narrow niches, confined to lead mining spoil or lime kilns, or china-clay pits. Both are the work of relatively small groups of specialists who combine biological know-how with the ability to communicate to wider audiences – and to take brilliant photographs. I could say the same about lichens, but they aren’t really plants. So someone else will have to do them.

Eyebright by Donald Macauley, via flickr.

In the first chapter of the book, you discuss the IUCN’s criteria and red list. How accurate do you think this assessment is, and are there any disadvantages to using this method of classification to determine the rarity, and future protection, of any given species?

The IUCN criteria are only as good as current knowledge allows. Conservationists love to list and pigeon-hole; it creates a kind of order. But, in a rapidly changing world, the vulnerability of species is itself changing. Government and officialdom haven’t yet caught up with climate change and its implications for our flora. I think the most endangered plants are now our northern and arctic-alpine species, especially those that need long, cold winters with plenty of snow. It isn’t outright habitat destruction so much as the subtle consequences of a warmer but wetter and windier climate. The other problem with pigeon-holing is that it is boring. It creates the idea of fragile ‘things’, like pieces of china, and diverts our eyes from the marvels of the living plant with its ability to meld with its habitat, compete with its neighbours, and find necessary partnerships to survive.

The same idea of plants as passive ‘things’ has led well-meaning conservationists to substitute gardening for conservation. Plant conservation is under-funded and, alas, also under-expertised. Academic botany is in decline (count the university courses – not many).

Lady's-Slipper Orchid - Cypripedium calceolus by Bjorn S, via flickr. — Lady’s-Slipper Orchid – Cypripedium calceolus by Bjorn S, via flickr.

Finally, what’s taking up your time at the moment? Are you planning on working on any future volumes in the British Wildlife Collection?

I doubt I’ll be writing any more books for this series. They take a long time and I’m getting on a bit! Besides, these are hard times for writers who aren’t footballers or chefs, or others who have become famous from constant exposure in the media. While the natural history bookshelf has never been more bountiful, some of us are working for less than the minimum wage! I’ve recently finished a book (my 27^th, I think) about the world’s most noxious plants called The Devil’s Garden, which was fun, and I hope will be fun to read. I love plants that defend themselves with alchemy, vicious thorns and stings, horrific poisons, or play mind-games with their pollinators; in short those with a wicked reputation. They provide an antidote to the idea of plants as passive and compliant.

Vivat flores!

(Long live the flowers)

Rare Plants is available from our online bookstore here.

The NHBS Guide to Autumn and Winter Foraging

Foraging for food is an easy way to connect people of all ages with nature. Some of us may forage unknowingly while picking juicy blackberries in the summer months, and some of us may be unaware of the vast array of edibles around us throughout the year. Here we have selected a handful of items to forage through autumn and winter, highlighting where you can find them and their culinary uses.

It is important to be certain of your identification, so if you are unsure, check all foraged foods with a professional as some plants have toxic look-alikes. Remember to forage responsibly by leaving plenty behind for wildlife and allow plants to set seed or spore for regeneration.

Mushrooms and Fungi

Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)

A cluster of oyster mushrooms on a tree stump, it is light cream underneath and a light brown on the top — Image by Sarah Ward via Flickr

Identification: With its distinctive appearance, this bracket fungus is instantly recognisable. It has an oyster-shaped cap, that can be white, cream, grey or tan in colour and measures up to 25cm across. The gills underneath can vary in thickness with age, but are generally white or cream in colour.

Distribution: Oyster mushrooms can be found throughout the year in large numbers, but they are most commonly seen in the winter months growing on deciduous hardwoods, such as beech.

Culinary Uses: Oyster mushrooms have a meaty texture and a mild, nutty flavour. They have a diversity of culinary applications and are often used to substitute meat due to their fleshy texture. They can be sauteed, stir fried, grilled and roasted, or used as an ingredient in soups, stews, risottos and pasta.

Did you know? Oyster Mushrooms are carnivorous and can digest nematodes (microscopic, unsegmented worms).

Velvet Shank Mushroom (Flammulina velutipes)

A group of orange bracket fungi growing on the bark of a tree, they are bright orange on top and lighter in colour on the bottom — Image by Peter O’Connor via Flickr

Identification: Growing in overlapping tiers, Velvet Shank Mushroom caps can measure up to 7cm in diameter and 10cm in height. The caps are bright orange, with a pale edge and a darker area towards the middle, which interestingly becomes slimy to the touch in wet weather. The gills are broad and white, turning yellow with maturity and the stalk is fibrous and soft.

Distribution: The dense clusters of this fungus can be found on dead and decaying broadleaved trees from late autumn to early spring. It is fairly common throughout the UK and can be found on the stumps and trunks of hardwood trees. The fungus shows a preference for elm, but can also be found on beech, oak and Hawthorn.

Culinary Uses: Velvet Shank has a sweet, nutty flavour and a chewy texture. They are only edible once cooked, and can be used in soups, casseroles and stews, or can be preserved using oil or vinegar for use throughout the season. For improved texture, the skin and stalks should be removed during preparation.

Did you know? Velvet Shank Mushrooms are one of few species that can be found in December because they can survive frost and being frozen solid.

Beefsteak Fungus (Fistulina hepatica)

a flat fungus growing from the bark of a tree. it ids bright red and slimy on top and is white underneath — Image by Ancient Woods and Trees Project via Flickr

Identification: Also known as Ox-tongue Fungus due to its resemblance as a young fungus, this bracket fungus grows up to 25cm in diameter and 6cm in thickness. The upper surface is a deep red and it has a cream-coloured underside that is covered with small pores.

Where/when: Beefsteak Fungus can be found from late summer to autumn and is common in broadleaved woodland. It can be spotted close to the ground on tree trunks and stumps, particularly Sweet Chestnut and oaks.

Culinary Uses: This fungus has a marbled, rubbery texture and a slightly sour, acidic flavour. It can be eaten raw when sliced thinly but is more commonly cooked in larger chunks. During preparation, Beefsteak Fungus should be simmered for a little while to soften the flesh.

Did you know? Beefsteak fungus will ooze a watery blood-like substance when cut.

Nuts and Seeds

Chestnuts, Sweet Chestnut Tree (Castanea sativa)

a green spiky shell encasing multiple brown nuts — Image by Garry Knight via Flickr

Identification: Chestnuts grow on Sweet Chestnut trees; a large deciduous species which can grow up to 35m in height. It has long, toothed leaves that can grow up to 28cm in length and its flowers are long, yellow catkins. Sweet Chestnuts produce fruit cases that are covered in soft green spikes, and inside these cases are up to three shiny brown chestnuts.

Distribution: Sweet Chestnut trees are mostly found in south-east England in woodlands, towns and gardens. The chestnuts begin to drop from October and can be found until early winter.

Culinary Uses: Chestnuts can be baked, boiled, roasted, candied or stored in syrup. Before cooking, a cross should be scored on the bottom to prevent them from exploding. Once cooked and peeled, chestnuts can be used in cakes and stuffing and are often enjoyed as a festive treat.

Did you know? In the UK, it is believed that Sweet Chestnut trees were introduced by the Romans as a source of flour.

Walnuts, Walnut Tree (Juglans regia)

A group of walnuts on a wooden table, with the shell they have a veiny texture and without a shell they have pits and waves — Image by Taco Witte via Flickr

Identification: These seeds are foraged from the Walnut tree, a large, broadleaved deciduous species that can grow up to 35m in height. The bark of the Walnut is smooth and olive-brown in colour, which fades to grey as the tree matures. The pinnate leaves have up to nine pairs of leaflets, with one terminal leaflet at the end and the tree has long, yellow green coloured catkins. The brown, wrinkled walnuts can be found inside a green husk which splits as it ripens and can be picked from late autumn.

Distribution: A common and widespread species throughout the UK, Walnut trees can be found on farmland, towns, parks and gardens.

Culinary Uses: Walnuts are a popular snack and can be incorporated into several dishes, sweet or savoury. They can be eaten raw, roasted, fried or pickled.

Did you know? Walnut leaves are said to smell of furniture polish when crushed.

Hazelnuts, Hazel Tree (Corylus avellana)

Two unripe hazelnuts hang from a branch, they are pink in colour and have small white hairs covering the fruit — Image by hedera.baltica via Flickr

Identification: Mature Hazel trees grow to around 12m tall and are easily identified by their leaves. They are soft to the touch, with a round shape, pointed tip and serrated edges. The flowers consist of yellow cylindrical catkins that hang in clusters from mid-February, giving way to the oval fruits which hang in groups of around four and are surrounded by leafy bracts.

Distribution: Common and widespread across the UK, Hazel trees can be found in woods, hedgerows, parks and gardens. Hazelnuts are present from late August and are ready to harvest up to October when the husks are golden brown and begin to split.

Culinary Uses: Once ripened in a dark, dry place, hazelnuts can be roasted or baked, and used to create stuffing, nut butters, pastry fillings and traditional festive confectionary.

Plants and Trees

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

a bird-eye view of a patch of stinging nettles, who have strongly serrated leaves — Image by svklimkin via Flickr

Identification: Stinging Nettles can be easily identified by their dull, serrated leaves that, along with the rest of the plant, are covered in small, stinging hairs that deliver an itchy sting when brushed. The stem is square, and the flowers are small and green, resembling catkins with no petals.

Distribution: Stinging Nettles are common and widespread throughout the UK and can be found in woodland, grassland, hedges, roadsides and wasteland from Spring to Autumn.

Culinary Uses: The shoots and leaves of Stinging Nettles are extremely versatile in the kitchen and can be used in soups, risotto, pesto and popular herbal teas.

Did you know? It is thought that roman soldiers rubbed their bodies with nettles to keep warm and promote good circulation.

Hairy Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)

A small bushy plant on a forest floor, it has a couple of long stems with flowers at the top — Image by Melissa McMaster via Flickr

Identification: A small, annual herb in the mustard family, Hairy Bittercress grows to around 30cm in height. The compound leaves consist of small, rounded leaflets that are arranged in opposite pairs, forming a compact rosette close to the ground. The small, white flowers have four petals forming a cross shape and are around 1cm in diameter. The entire plant is covered in small, pale hairs.

Distribution: Common and widespread year-round, Hairy Bittercress can readily be found in the cracks in pavements, patios, walls and gardens. It prefers damp, shady areas but may also be found in heathland, coastal areas and moorland.

Culinary Uses: Although considered a weed, Hairy Bittercress has a wide range of culinary uses. It has a tangy, peppery flavour and can be used in salads, soups, salsa, or pesto, and can even be used to substitute cress and rocket. Picking leaves from the middle of the rosette is advised for the best flavour.

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

A close up shot of the scots pine needles and cone — Image by Sage Ross via Flickr

Identification: Growing up to 35m in height, Scots Pine trees are easily recognised by their straight, unbranched trunk and conical crown. The needles are grey green in colour and are arranged in twisted, bunched pairs with orange scented flowers that mature into green cones.

Distribution: Scots Pine are common and widespread throughout the northern hemisphere. Wild trees can be found in abundance in the Caledonian Pine Forest of Scotland and are widely planted elsewhere in the UK.

Culinary Uses: Scots Pine needles can be harvested throughout the year to make pestos, soups and stews. Young pine needles can be used to make tea or can be infused with oils to harness their citrusy, lemony flavour.

Fruits and Berries

Rosehips, Wild Dog Rose (Rosa canine)

A branch with a bunch of orange and red berries — Image by Peter Stenzel via Flickr

Identification: Rosehips come from the wild Dog Rose; a thorny, scrambling shrub with pale pink flowers. The flowers have five petals and yellow stamens that give rise to oval shaped, green seed pods known as rosehips. These eventually ripen to a vibrant red and contain numerous small seeds covered in irritating hairs.

Distribution: Dog Rose is common and widespread across the UK where it can be found year-round in hedgerows and woodland fringes. Rosehips appear around September after the rose has flowered, and last throughout the winter – they are ready to be picked when they feel plump and soft

Culinary Uses: Rosehips can be used to make jams, jellies and syrup for cordials, tea and desserts. Rosehip tea is commonly brewed with citrus fruits, lemongrass, dried fruit and honey for a vitamin C rich drink. These berries have also been used to infuse vinegars for a fragrant salad dressing. Rosehips cannot be eaten raw and must be cooked before ingestion. The irritating hairs around the seeds should also be removed during preparation.

Sloes, Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

A branch with many bunches of purple blue berries — Image by Lewis Bormann via Flickr

Identification: Sloes grow on the Blackthorn tree, a black-barked scrub that grows to around 7 metres. Blackthorn has spiny, black-purple twigs and oval-shaped, toothed leaves which have pointed tips and a tapered base. Blackthorn trees produce small, white blossom in early spring, before the leaves develop. The sloes, which are the smallest fruit in the plum family, are blue-black berries around 1cm across. They can be picked from September to December and are known for their acidic taste.

Distribution: Blackthorn can be found in abundance in woodland, field edges and hedges throughout the UK.

Culinary Uses: It is recommended to pick sloes after the first frost for the best flavour, however this can be replicated by freezing and thawing the sloes at home. The tart flavour of sloe berries is favoured for preserves, wine and sloe gin. Historically, sloes have also been used to make tonics and syrups as health remedies.

Elderberries, Elder Tree (Sambucus nigra)

Bunches of small black purple berries hanging from pink branches — Image by Geoff Henson via Flickr

Identification: The Elder tree is a deciduous species which can grow up to six metres in height and is identifiable by its toothed, oval leaves. Each compound leaf has up to seven leaflets, arranged in opposite pairs with a single leaflet at the top. The flowers of this tree, elderflowers, bloom between May and June. Clusters of white, five-petalled flowers appear with prominent yellow stamens, and umbels of dark elderberries form in late August.

Distribution: Elder trees can be found growing in a variety of conditions year-round, and are largely non-selective with their environment, which can include hedgerows, woodland, scrubland, grassland and urban green spaces.

Culinary Uses: Packed full of antioxidants and vitamins, elderberries have been used for centuries to support human health. These dark berries can be used to make wine, syrups, jams, cordials and can be incorporated into cakes and crumbles. Please note that elderberries should always be cooked before eating to neutralise cyanide compounds present within the fruit.

Recommended Reading:

Field Studies Council Guide to Foraging

An essential fold-out guide to the most common and tasty plants to forage in Britain and Ireland.

The Foragers Cookbook

A unique cookbook containing 65 wild food recipes with detailed identification guides to 15 common edible plants.

Concise Foraging Guide

A waterproof practical pocket guide to 194 edible fruits, nuts, flowers, vegetables and more that can be foraged in the UK and Europe.

Field Studies Council Guide to Autumn Fruits and Seeds

A concise guide to 33 different fruits produced by common trees and shrubs in Britain.

The NHBS Guide to Summer Foraging

Foraging for food is an easy way to connect people of all ages with nature. Some of us may forage unknowingly while picking juicy blackberries in the summer months, and some of us may be unaware of the vast array of edibles around us. Here we have selected a handful of items to forage through spring and summer, highlighting where you can find them and their culinary uses.

It is important to be certain of your identification, so if you are unsure, check all foraged foods with a professional because some plants have toxic look-alikes. Remember to forage responsibly by leaving plenty behind for wildlife and allowing plants to spore or set seed for regeneration.

Wild herbs

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Garlic Mustard, also known as Hedge Mustard or Jack-by-the-hedge, is a hairy herb in the mustard family. This plant has heart-shaped jagged leaves which emit a distinctive garlic odour when crushed, and has small, white flowers with cross-shaped petals. The species can grow up to 1m in height and can be found in woodland, hedgerows, cultivated land and on the borders of agricultural farmland. Each part of this plant is edible, but harvesting is best between March–April and July–September. Garlic mustard is best enjoyed before flower stalks develop, as this can create a bitter taste. The roots of this plant can be used as a substitute for pepper and horseradish and is said to taste like wasabi. The leaves have a garlicky flavour, and can be used as a replacement for traditional, store-bought garlic.

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum)

Image by Leonora (Ellie) Enking via Flickr

Wild Garlic (also called ramsons, bear garlic or broad-leaved garlic) is easily identified by its distinctive fragrance. When walking through areas of Wild Garlic, which are often found in large groups, you may catch a whiff of their characteristic garlic smell in the air. These areas are typically damp, shady woodland and can often be found with bluebells close by, as the pair have similar growing conditions. This plant can be seen from late winter till the end of spring, with flowers appearing in April/May. It has distinctive white, star-shaped flowers that grow in clusters. Their leaves are elongated, and when crushed release a pungent smell.

With a milder taste than shop-bought garlic, this plant is suitable for use in pastas, pesto’s and soups and can be infused into oils and vinegars. Only the flowers and leaves are edible, so it is best to leave the root to allow for regrowth – it is also worth noting that younger leaves are better for cooking, as older leaves can create bitter flavours. This plant can be confused with the poisonous Lily-of-the-valley, so it is best to smell the leaves before consuming them – alternatives will not have a distinctive garlic smell.

Wildflowers

Elderflower (Sambucus nigra)

The Black Elder tree, a deciduous species, can grow to six metres in height and is identified by toothed, oval leaves. Each compound leaf has up to seven leaflets, arranged in opposite pairs with a single leaflet at the top. The flowers of this tree, elderflowers, bloom between May and June. Clusters of white, five-petalled flowers appear with prominent yellow stamens, and umbels of dark berries form in late August. Elderflowers can be found growing in a variety of conditions, and are largely non-selective with their environment, which can include hedgerows, woodland, scrubland, grassland and urban green spaces. Elderflowers have a long tradition of culinary use in the UK, using both berries and flowers for different purposes. Preserves, cordials, gins and puddings are all common uses of elderflower. The flowers can be eaten raw, but berries must be cooked before use. Elderflowers have a sweet and zesty taste and an aroma which is slightly lemony.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Although there are around 250 species of dandelion, here we refer to them collectively as they are difficult to distinguish from one another.

An instantly recognisable British wildflower, the dandelion features a bright yellow composite flower crown on a bed of large, jagged leaves. These species are very common and widespread, popping up almost everywhere from parks and gardens to roadsides and meadows. The roots, leaves, flowers and buds of the dandelion can be used for food and can be harvested from early spring to late autumn. The roots can be used as a coffee substitute and are famously used in the Dandelion-and-Burdock drink. Leaves can be added to salads and the dandelion flowers are often used in cakes. You can also make beer from the entire plant.

Fruit and berries

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

A hairy, perennial herb in the rose family, the Wild Strawberry can be found from May to August. The species is indiscriminate of their growing environment and can be found in a wide range of areas – it is found naturally growing in woodlands, hillsides, meadows, hedgerows and urban green spaces. Wild Strawberries can be identified by serrated, trifoliate (three leaflets) leaves and white, five-petalled flowers with a yellow centre. The berries of a Wild Strawberry appear similar to that of commercial strawberries but are generally smaller and rougher. These edible berries can be foraged from June onwards to make teas, cordials and puddings or can be infused into vinegars and sauces. With a sweet and juicy taste, these fruits can also be used as garnishes or used in salads.

Bramble (Rubus fruticosus)

A sure sign that summer has arrived, the Bramble is an iconic British summertime plant. This perennial shrub can be found up to 3m in height, featuring thorny stems which turn red with age and dark, jagged leaves. Come spring, a Bramble bush will have small groups of white or pale pink flowers with five petals. The fruit of this plant will appear up until autumn, with distinctive black, shiny berries. Ripening from green to purple-black, blackberries have a sweet, tart flavour. They are widespread in the UK and can be found in many habitats including woodland, hedges, fields and urban spaces. It is advised to pick blackberries away from busy roadways and paths to avoid pollutants and other contaminants. Picking from the upper half of the bush is also advised to avoid dog mess. The blackberry is a versatile fruit, with diverse culinary uses. It is commonly used to make jams, jellies and preserves but can also be used to make cordials and fruity teas.

Mushrooms

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)

Laetiporus sulphureus, named Chicken of the Woods, is a thick bracket fungus common in the UK. This fungus has bright yellow-orange clusters that fade to cream with age. The average cap can grow to around 45cm in width and is often found growing on the side of trees in broadleaf habitat between June and November. It is mainly found on oak trees, but can also be found on Yews, cherries, Sweet Chestnut and willow. It should be noted that if the fungus is found growing on Yews, or other poisonous trees, the fungus can cause sickness in humans. The firm texture of this fungus makes it a favorable alternative to chicken in vegetarian dishes, as the name suggests. It is often substituted in stews, stir fries, and marinated on skewers. When foraging, it is best to eat younger specimens to avoid a hard, leathery texture associated with older fungi.

Giant Puffball (Calvatia gigantea)

Giant Puffballs are an astonishing sight when found in the wild. Their distinctive white, spherical silhouette can reach up to 90cm in diameter. This fungus has a soft, spongy texture inside, and a thick, velvety texture on the surface. A stemless variety, this plant is found directly on the ground and is often found in small clusters or ‘fairy rings’. As the fungus ages, it becomes browner in colour, compared to the firm, white flesh of young specimens. Giant Puffballs can be found in meadows, open pasture and woodland from July to September. They are widespread in the UK but are localised in habitat. This fungus is popular with vegetarian dishes – its firm, thick texture makes it a great substitute for chicken. It is often pan fried like steak, roasted or breaded and fried.

Additional Reading

Guide to Foraging

Unbound | January 2016

An essential fold-out guide to the 25 most common and tasty plants to forage in Britain and Ireland.

The Foragers Cookbook

Paperback | December 2016

A unique cookbook containing 65 wild food recipes with detailed identification guides to 15 common edible plants.

Concise Foraging Guide

Paperback | May 2021

A waterproof practical pocket guide to 194 edible fruits, nuts, flowers, vegetables and more that can be foraged in the UK and Europe.

The NHBS Guide to Thistles

Distinctively prickly with pink or purple flowers, thistles belong to the largest family of flowering plant in the UK (with the exception of the grasses) – Asteraceae. These common plants are found throughout Britain and Ireland, providing key services for invertebrates who seek safety in the sharp spines. The leaves and nectar of thistles are also excellent sources of food for other groups, including pollinators and Painted Lady caterpillars, and several bird species are known to eat the seeds.

Here we take a look at a selection of thistles found throughout the UK, highlighting their distribution and ways in which they may be identified.

Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

Creeping Thistle by hedera.baltica via Flickr

ID Notes: This perennial flower is named for its far-reaching, creeping roots. The leaves are smooth and grey-green in colour, with wavy, spined edges. The stems are smooth, neither spined nor winged. The flowerheads produce small, pale pink flowers (1.5–2.5cm) in small clusters with pear-shaped bases covered with phyllaries pressed against the flowerhead, curving outwards.

Distribution: Widespread and common throughout Britain and Ireland. Creeping Thistles can be found from June to October on rough grassland, roadside verges and field edges – a preference for disturbed and cultivated ground is observed in this species.

Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

Spear Thistle by Andreas Rockstein via Flickr

ID Notes: This thistle is particularly attractive to pollinators, who are often seen feasting on the deep pink flowers. The large flowerheads (up to three may be present per stem) sit on a bulbous, spiked base with long, spreading phyllaries. The leaves of a Spear Thistle have long, lanceolate segments tipped with spines, and the upper surface is bristly. The stem is covered with light hair and sporadic spiny wings.

Distribution: Widespread and common throughout Britain and Ireland. It can be found from July to October on disturbed ground such as roadside verges, field edges and pastures.

Welted Thistle (Carduus crispus)

Welted Thistle by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden via Flickr

ID Notes: This plant has small, red-purple flowerheads that are clustered together. The base of the flower head has spiny, protruding bracts and the phyllaries project outwards. The branched stems have several rows of spiny wings, and the leaves have broader lobes than is typical for other thistles, with spiny margins.

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain, except Ireland. This species shows a preference for nutrient-enriched substrates, including brownfields, field margins, meadows and beside streams.

Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre)

Marsh Thistle by Gertjan van Noord via Flickr

ID Notes: Growing up to 2m in height, this large thistle is easily identified by its purple tinge. The flowerheads are small and are found in large clusters, with small reddish-purple or white flowers and the phyllaries are pressed against the flower head, with tips facing downwards. Leaves are more slender and shorter, with hair visible on the upper surface, they are often tinged purple on the margins and have many spines.

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland, and can be found in marshes, damp grassland and meadows.

Meadow Thistle (Cirsium dissectum)

Meadow Thistle by Thibault Lefort via Flickr

ID Notes: Each Meadow Thistle has one flower head on a cottony stem, growing up to 80cm tall – the solitary flower has purple-tipped, long bracts and the base covered with light, white hair. The stems are not winged, and basal leaves are toothed in a rosette formation. The remaining leaves are finely toothed, without spines, and have light hair on top, with a white, cottony appearance underneath.

Distribution: Most common in the south of the UK, with strongholds in the south-west and south Wales. Meadow Thistles are scarce towards the north. They can be found in bogs, fens, grassland and meadows.

Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans)

ID Notes: Growing up to 2m in height, the Musk Thistle is recognised for its greyish-green colour. The flowerheads are large (3–5cm across), often nodding to one side after maturity, and have long, spiny phyllaries and two-lipped petals. The leaves are short and twisted, with spines present on the toothy lobes and are often woolly underneath.

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain, but absent from Scotland and Ireland. Most commonly found on calcareous soil from May to September.

Woolly Thistle (Cirsium eriophorum)

Woolly Thistle by Olive Titus via Flickr

ID Notes: The Woolly Thistle gets its name from its wool-like covering. The leaves are ladder-like and narrow, tipped with spines and are white underneath. The stems are wingless and are covered in cobweb-like hairs, producing a single large flowerhead. The phyllaries on the flower base are downward curved, spread throughout the cobwebbing.

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain, with strongholds in the Yorkshire Wolds and the Isle of Wight. The ‘queen of thistles’ often prefers chalky soils.

The NHBS Guide to Clovers

Often perceived as a pesky weed in garden lawns, clovers are low-growing, common plants belonging to the family Fabaceae – also home to beans, peas and legumes. These drought resistant plants can be found throughout Britain and Ireland in a range of habitats and are key food sources for a number of pollinators.

Here we look at a selection of clovers found in Britain, highlighting their identifying characteristics and where they can be found.

White Clover (Trifolium repens)

A view of clovers in the grass. Lots of small, white flowers tower above a bed of circular leaves — White Clover by Andreas Rockstein via Flickr

ID Notes: A familiar ‘weed’ of grassy spaces, the White Clover is easily recognised for its distinctive trefoil leaves – three leaflets bearing white markings. The flowers are white, sometimes pink toward the tips, with rounded heads made of many tubular blooms. Left to grow, this plant can grow up to 40cm in height, and is associated with Common Blue Butterflies (Polyommatus icarus) and bumblebees.

Distribution: Common and widespread throughout Britain and Ireland. This plant can be found in grassy areas from May to October, including gardens, roadsides, meadows and parks.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

A pink clover, made of multiple smaller flowers, takes a globular shape. It is surrounded by three hairy leaflets with a lighter 'v' shape in the middle — Red Clover by Judy Gallagher via Flickr

ID Notes: Similar to White Clovers, this species has three green leaflets bearing white markings, often ‘V’ shaped. The rounded flower heads bear pink/red flowers, forming clusters that are 2–3cm across.

Distribution: Common and widespread throughout Britain and Ireland. This species will flower from May to October, and can be found in gardens, meadows, parks and roadsides. It is also sown as a fodder crop for livestock, so can be found in open pasture.

Strawberry Clover (Trifolium fragiferum)

On the left is a baby pink flower, the bottom half of it is more brown in colour and is dying. On the right is a pale pink fruit, it looks like a raspberry with a swollen, knobbly exterior — Strawberry Clover by Mark Gurney via Flickr

ID Notes: The Strawberry Clover has a densely packed flower head, brimming with pink-red pea-shaped flowers that turn darker throughout the growing season. The leaves have three leaflets, and the fruit resembles a pale raspberry.

Distribution: Common in the south-east of England, it is found both inland and at the coast. Throughout Wales and northern England, this plant is mostly found coastally. Strawberry Clover can be found in fields, gardens, grassland, woodland and rocky areas.

Hares-foot Clover (Trifolium arvense)

A white fluffy flower on a hairy stem with hairy leaves. — Hare’s-foot Clover by hedera.baltica via Flickr

ID Notes: These pale pink flowers (2–3cm in size) are covered with small soft hairs giving it a cottony appearance, like a hare’s paw, as the name would suggest. The trifoliate leaves are divided into three leaflets, narrower than other clovers and covered in fine hair. The stalks are also covered in fine, white hair.

Distribution: Fairly common in England and Wales, with a preference for coastal areas. Hares-foot Clover is uncommon in Scotland and Ireland. It can be found from June to September in dry grasslands, meadows, sandy soils and coastal areas.

Knotted Clover (Trifolium striatum)

A cylindrical shaped clover, with red veins in the base of the flower head. the leaves have three leaflets and are slightly pink on the edges — Knotted Clover by Thibault Lefort via Flickr

ID Notes: Up to 15mm across, the flowers of a Knotted Clover form pale pink (or white), ovoid flowerheads. The leaves are hairy on both sides and are divided into three toothed leaflets. This clover is easily distinguished by the knotting visible along the stem.

Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain. Mostly found flowering at coastal sites between May and July, it can be found on beaches, fields, grassland, meadows, roadsides and sand dunes.

Zigzag Clover (Trifolium medium)

A bright, purple clover. the flower is made of multiple smaller flowers, and the leaves are more pointed with a light edge. — Zigzag Clover by Nina Laakso via Flickr

ID Notes: A dense flowerhead up to 3.5cm across, the Zigzag Clover is similar to the Red Clover, except that it has darker, reddish-purple flowers and spreading flowerheads. The leaves are longer and narrower, with less hair than other clovers and the stem is distinctively zigzagged allowing for easy identification.

Distribution: Common in England, Wales and Scotland, except the far north. Zigzag Clover can be found from May to July in gardens, grassland, roadsides and verges, often on poor soil.

Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum)

A bumble bee on a vibrant red pear-shaped flower. — Crimson Clover by Gerard Meyer via Flickr

ID Notes: This plant produces dense, conical-shaped heads of vibrant red flowers. The blooms of Crimson Clover are very attractive to bees, forming a close association in spring and summer. The stem and leaves are hairy, the latter composed of three leaflets.

Distribution: Not commonly seen in Britain. This species is mostly found from May to September in grasslands, gardens, cliffsides and meadows in the south of the UK.

Author interview with Ben Jacob: Orchid Outlaw

The Orchid Outlaw tells the tale of author Ben Jacob’s mission to save some of the UK’s rarest, native orchids. With many facing extinction due to land use change and the climate crisis, while also not being protected by environmental and planning laws, Ben took it upon himself to rescue these threatened plants and grow them in his own kitchen and garden, rather than losing the plants all together. In doing so, he placed himself on the wrong side of the law. This part memoir, part natural history piece shows us how we can all save the world one plant at a time.

Ben works as a University lecturer by day, and as a clandestine ecologist, conservationist and Orchid-saviour by night. It is always a pleasure to meet the authors behind our books, particularly those who are adopting their own approach to nature restoration and conservation, and we were delighted to have the opportunity to talk to Ben in person about The Orchid Outlaw and have him sign our books. We discussed how he first became interested in Botany, his thoughts on the Right to Roam movement, what he hopes the reader can learn from his book and more. Read the full author interview on the Conservation Hub.

Firstly, can you tell us about yourself and how you first became interested in both Botany and orchids?

By day I’m a mild-mannered lecturer (in a subject which has very little to do with science or botany); by night I am a guerrilla conservationist with a focus on rescuing, conserving, and bringing back to the land, our native orchids. The Orchid Outlaw explains the journey I took from a chance encounter with a tropical orchid in a garden centre as a child, which led me, when I was older, to trekking through jungles to look for tropical species, then, and older still, via a mugging, an enforced return to England and a broken back, to encounter Britain’s – and Europe’s – native orchids. As I learned more about these species, I realised that my preconceptions about our native orchids and the state of our natural environment were wrong. I became aware of the significant recent decline in orchid populations… and began my unorthodox means of saving them. I tell this story alongside (hopefully) entertaining diversions through history, medicine, man’s changing relationship with nature, Charles Darwin’s discovery of evolution, and a critical exploration of the laws which exist to protect wildlife in this country – but which are so full of huge holes that battalions of construction vehicles can rumble straight through, crushing all life before them. Which they do. Daily. Without any legal consequences.

In contrast, a well-intentioned conservationist (like me) rescuing wild flora or fauna from private land which is about to be turned into a housing estate, without first going through the hurdles required to gain permission from the landowner, risks fines of £5,000 per plant or six months in prison. Do these laws make sense? No. Are they helping sustain a healthy and diverse population of native species? No. So, like any laws which don’t work, someone should stand up to them and do what needs to be done.

Bee Orchid in some grass. — Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) by Oli Haines.

In the past week, the European Council has formally adopted the Nature Restoration law. Do you think this law could have any influence on conservation policy here in Britain, and to what extent do you think it will change people’s attitudes towards our responsibility to protect the natural environment?

In Britain (as elsewhere) 2024 is a national election year so any impact on British political attitudes of a European law will depend to an extent on which party wins. Unfortunately, none of our main political parties have a good track record when it comes to protecting our natural heritage for us and future generations – we have seen a rapid decline in numbers across all species and native habitats over many decades presided over by both main parties and a coalition. Of course, for the sake of everyone’s future, I’d like to think this European Council law marks a shift in geo-political will which will pull all national policies into its orbit (fingers-crossed)… but the realist in me suggests that unless meaningful, accountable, well-policed penalties accompany laws, those laws tend to make little concrete difference (consider for example international laws around freedom of expression, asylum, and war crimes, which are broken all around the world every day).

The Orchid Outlaw highlighted how pre-industry anthropogenic land use is intertwined with orchid distribution, particularly in the UK. How do you think rewilding (which is currently a very hot topic) can be implemented in a way that supports these species that may have benefitted from traditional land management rather than being left to nature?

The Orchid Outlaw looks a little bit at how native orchids thrived in the habitat niches created on a large scale by man, including hay meadows, and how centuries of people-managed woodland (the clearing of underwood and occasional felling) provided conditions which helped many native orchid species to thrive. Of course, these habitats had existed long before people (meadows had been formed, for example, by large, now extinct cattle, naturally falling trees, and wildfires) so, in many ways, mankind took on the role of these natural forces for his own benefit and, in the process, allowed many other species – not only orchids – to benefit too. In this sense, ‘rewilding’ is not simply a case of letting an area go wild without any human intervention – ironically this kind of habitat is completely ‘un-wild’ unless it is stocked with the right range of creatures which are going to complete the tapestry of life (and death) needed to reach a healthy, natural, sustainable equilibrium.

Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza) by Jo Graeser.

How can we mitigate orchid loss in a practical conservation framework when vital species-specific symbiotic relationships with fungi are not considered, so these species may not be protected under current schemes?

There are all kinds of gaping holes in our awareness of the world – and what really goes on in the soil, which sustains everything, is one of them. Because of this particular hole, soil health has fallen through the gaps of wildlife conservation laws, even though soil, like the sea, is a vast, living, environment containing more life than we can see and it is an environment upon which the world depends. Orchids in particular have a very complex, as yet only partially understood, crucial relationship with certain soil fungi (mycorrhizae). This is because orchid seed germinates unlike that of any other plant. It creates a symbiotic relationship with a specific mycorrhiza in order to then form a kind of hairy blob (a ‘protocorm’) which, eventually, sometimes after many years living underground sustained only by fungus, becomes a flowering plant. This makes orchids important indicators of soil health, because it seems that the mycorrhizae they need are adversely affected by artificial fertilisers and herbicides. In a way then, our orchids have taught me that any conservation framework has to start from the ground – literally, the dirt – up, because that is the secret to success. If the earth and the microbes in it are right for the plants there – and, of course, plants are crucial to any rewilding project – then insects, birds, mammals will come and the tapestry of life which orchids introduced to me will weave itself.

The right to roam movement is growing, especially close to home here in Devon. What are your thoughts on trespassing for the purpose of immersing and enjoying nature that is legally out of reach for the majority of citizens? Following this, if the laws were to change do you think it would affect attitudes towards nature with more people having the chance to be exposed to nature?

Let’s be honest, this is ‘our’ land. Our ancestors built it, fought for it, died for it, are buried in it; it is deplorable that we do not have the right to roam – considerately and with respect – upon our land. The right to roam exists in Scotland without any major detriment to anybody and the fact that it does not exist in England and Wales says a great deal about the sway the old class system still holds here – after all, 0.06% of the population owns half of rural England and Wales and much of this land distribution extends back to the days of feudal lords. For centuries, no one has done much to change this status quo.

Obviously, allowing people the chance to experience nature is a great way of changing attitudes to it… but a lot of the land we can roam in Devon is still unavailable to those in inner city areas, so a shift in awareness towards our natural world – our natural heritage, formed over thousands of years and which we should be proud to pass on to our children –– is not solely about opening up rural land. The recent pandemic made many people far more aware of how important being outside in nature is to our wellbeing – whether in a park or allotment or an uncut verge with a bench to sit on and wild flowers buzzing with insects and flickering with butterflies. So, while the right to roam is important, I think wider appreciation of the real value of nature will be helped by allowing nature to be more present everywhere in everyone’s life – from green roofs, wild parks and county farms, to unmown verges and tree-lined streets smothered in bird boxes…

Miltary Orchid on the right hand side of the photo in a field of grass. — Military Orchid by Charlie Jackson, via flickr.

What do you hope the reader can learn from The Orchid Outlaw?

On the one hand, I like to think that The Orchid Outlaw takes a reader on the same journey of discovery I went on, with orchids as my guide, opening my eyes to so much I hadn’t known. One of the biggest wake-up calls orchids gave me was the inadequacy of our wildlife laws and the massive, underreported decline of some our native flora. Orchids also taught me about the important microfauna all around us, the complex nature of soil, the history of botany and herbalism, and of course the fascinating world of native orchids themselves – the magical co-evolution that has occurred between orchids and their pollinators, the fact that some species never need sunlight, that others grow a metre tall and smell of decay, and some can live to be over a hundred years old… and a great deal more.

On the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, I’d like to think that what I do, as unorthodox as it is, shows that you don’t have to be a scientist, researcher, or working for an official institution to make a positive impact for the other living organisms on our planet.

Can you tell us what’s occupying your time at the moment? Do you have any other books in progress that we can hear about?

Aside from the usual rescuing and reintroducing native orchids, at the end of The Orchid Outlaw I talk about moving to the countryside to an old house which needed – and continues to need – a lot of attention. So, the garden (which was essentially a forest of nettles) and the lab I started building at the bottom of the garden to propagate orchids (so I no longer need to turn the kitchen into my lab) is largely what occupies my spare time. In any spare moments I am working on a couple of book proposals, both of which relate to elements of The Orchid Outlaw, but, for now, they’re closely guarded secrets!

The Orchid Outlaw has been published by John Murray and is available from our online bookstore.

Author interview with Christopher Hart – Hedgelands

Hedges and hedgerows have long been an integral part of the British landscape and are now considered the greatest edge habitat on earth. Hedgelands shines a spotlight on the hawthorn and hazel of ancient hedges, thorny scrub and the creatures that call this habitat their home, telling you everything you could ever want to know about this wild, diverse and incredibly rich habitat – it may even change your perspective of the humble British hedgerow for good.

Christopher Hart has authored ten literary and historical books that have been praised by both The Times Library Supplement and Sunday Sport. He’s written numerous short stories, essays and reviews on a range of subjects, and has worked as a freelance journalist since the 1990s. Hart now lives on a seven-acre plot in Wiltshire which he is in the process of rewilding.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with Christopher about what inspired him to write a book about hedges, how he thinks we can change peoples perceptions of the humble hedgerow and more.

As a writer of primarily historical fiction, what inspired you to write a book celebrating British hedges?

Well, I’ve had quite a chequered career: as well as the historical fiction thing, I’ve been a Mr Whippy Ice Cream Van Driver, Theatre Critic of the Sunday Times, and Agony Uncle for Time Out magazine. None of which qualify me to write about hedges! But really the English countryside is a lifelong passion, and working on our own patch of seven acres, with intermittent grazing, plus trying to encourage maximum wildlife, has taught me directly how vital hedges and thickets are to the entire system. Then my friend Jonathan did this survey on one of his own restored and re-laid hedges, found vivid evidence of the huge benefits to invertebrates, and said to me, ‘Why don’t you write a book?’ So that’s how it started.

Jonathan stood in front of his re laid hedge. — Jonathan stood in front of his re-laid hedge, by Christopher Hart.

Hedgerows have demonstrable benefits to the environment, yet are often overlooked and under-appreciated by many. How can we change public perception of and attitudes towards the humble hedgerow?

I think real-life examples always work better than statistics. And maybe demonstrating to people directly how many birds, butterflies etc. flourish in our hedgerows could have a great effect, as could enlarging and protecting hedgerows on amenity land, where people actually go regularly, rather than farmland: allotments, for instance, churchyards, and even school grounds.

How does the historical, manual management of hedgerows compare to the mechanical methods used in some agricultural practices today? And how can we encourage a change to more conservation-centred management in these spaces?

Like every other farm job, the old manual method of hedge-laying with an axe and billhook is a great art and beautiful to watch – but also very slow and expensive! Unless it could be done by teams of roving volunteers, which is a promising idea. But even flailing can be made instantly more eco-friendly by simply doing it every two years instead of one. That could really help, and as I think Jake Fiennes suggests, would actually save the average farmer around £2,500 a year on diesel alone.

Can you share some examples of individuals, organisations or locations that are paving the way for best-practice hedgerow management?

I think all the big conservation charities, like the RSPB, are very aware of hedgerows’ importance now, but there are also some admirable specialists like Hedgelink. And the Devon Hedge Group are terrific, doing direct, hands-on work there. If you want to see a truly spectacular hedge though, don’t miss the massive bristling rampart of the ‘Nightingale Hedge’ at Knepp. It’s magnificent!

How can we get involved in bringing hedgerows to our local communities, and how may we incorporate a hedge into areas with limited space?

One reader of my book has already contacted me for advice on how the hedges in his daughter’s school grounds could be made more nature friendly, perhaps by re-laying or just allowing to thicken up – that’s a great example of what we can do quite independently of farmlands. Another suggestion I have is to ‘rewild’ a typical, slightly overmanaged garden hedge, that might be just mono-cultural beech or holly, and let climbers and creepers into it as well: relax about a bit of ivy, or even bramble, let a few nettles grow, or as we have done, allow some self-sown honeysuckle to trail over your privet hedge. Then go out on a warm summer evening and admire the moths that turn up. If the sight of an Elephant Hawk moth doesn’t convert you, I don’t know what will!

What’s next for you? Do you have plans for more nature writing?

I most certainly do. The only difficulty is choosing which one to pursue. In the last year I did some experimental ‘re-bogging’ of a small riverside field that was just too waterlogged to offer good grazing, or any other kind of useful food production. It took me all of half an hour with a spade, diverting a field-side drainage ditch. The result has been a quite spectacular explosion of dragonflies – and snipe in the winter. I’d love to write something about that. ‘Re-bogging Britain‘, or ‘The Joy of Re-bogging‘. What do you think?

Hedgelands is published by Chelsea Green and is available from our online bookstore.

No Mow May 2024: An Update

Each year, Plantlife launch their national campaign of #NoMowMay. This initiative encourages people across the UK to allow their garden lawns to grow wild in the spring, providing vital habitats for many species. Here at NHBS, this is our fourth year taking part – each year in awe of the diversity of species in our lawn. Find our previous No Mow May blog posts on our conservation hub. Here, we give an update on the species we saw throughout last month.

The wilder lawns that develop during No Mow May provide a haven for invertebrate species in our gardens. At NHBS, we saw a whole host of insects in and around our lawn last month, from wasps to weevils and Green-veined White butterflies. Other highlights have included:

A Small Yellow Underwing (Panemeria tenebrata) – a diurnal moth species frequenting meadows and grassland.

Mayfly (Ephemera vulgata) – found near rivers and areas of freshwater between May and August.

Volucella bombylans – a bumblebee-mimicking hoverfly common throughout the UK.

Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) – a damselfly with a striking blue, metallic body found near rivers and streams.

And some beautiful wildflowers, including Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) and Perforate St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum). Here are some of our favourites:

The Southern Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) – the most common and widespread of marsh orchids, features spectacular purple petals.

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) – named for its mimicry, the Bee Orchid self-pollinates due to a lack of appropriate pollinators in the UK. The specimen on our lawn has yet to bloom (left), but we have a striking image from last year showcasing the mimicry of this species (right).

Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) – also known as ‘Lady’s-smock’, this flower is one of the first signs of spring, often found near riverbanks, wet meadows and grassland.

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) – considered a ‘good luck charm’ for travellers, this plant has a beautiful blue flower and is found in meadows, woods and hedgerows across the UK.

Our Product and Purchasing Manager, Mark, has documented the progress of his local park during No Mow May. Towards the end of the month, the green expanse had varying lengths of grass and plenty of wildflowers, encouraging pollinating species – a great example of how local councils can boost biodiversity in public spaces.

And our Sales and Marketing Manager, Adam, has grown his lawn throughout May creating a corridor for local wildlife brimming with wild buttercups, dandelions and many other self-seeded plants.

No Mow May is a fantastic initiative to engage with, attracting homeowners, businesses and local councils with its wealth of benefits. If you have enjoyed taking part, then Let it Bloom June could be a great opportunity to continue supporting your garden wildlife. This scheme simply involves continuing the No Mow May philosophy throughout the summer with less garden maintenance. You may choose to allow your entire garden to grow wild or leave some areas untouched for wildlife.

Have you taken part in No Mow May? Share your pictures with us via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Author interview with Richard Mabey: The Accidental Garden

In The Accidental Garden, author Richard Mabey takes the reader on a journey through his own garden in Norfolk and explores the possibility of nature becoming humankind’s equal partner. He watches as his ‘accidental’ garden becomes its own director and reorganises itself in its own way, with ants sowing cowslips in their own patterns, roses serendipitously sprouting amid gravel, moorhens nesting in trees and other fascinating interactions.

Richard Mabey has authored 30 books since becoming a full-time writer in 1974, a number of which have won awards, including the East Anglia Book Award, National Book Award and Whitbread Biography Award. He sat on the UK’s Nature Conservancy Council in the 1980s, has been awarded two Leverhulme Fellowships and three honorary doctorates, and became a Fellow in the Royal Society of Literature in 2011.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to Richard about his most recent book, where we discussed his approach to garden ‘by’ wildlife and the challenges he faced, the extent to which nature can thrive itself when human involvement is minimised, projects that are currently occupying his time and more.

Can you tell us what inspired you to write The Accidental Garden?

I’ve been meditating on many of the book’s themes for a long while – the paradox of our seeming new respect for nature co-existing with an obstinate reluctance to relinquish control; our obsession with tree-planting, as if trees have lost the ability to reproduce themselves; the lust for tidiness over vitality. What sparked the book – and set it in the theatre of our own garden – was a Dark Bush-cricket singing at midnight from the hollyhocks on that hottest-ever day in July 2022. It sounded like an anthem of hope.

Dark Bush Cricket sat on a leaf poised to jump. — Dark Bush Cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) by Dean Morely, via flickr.

You mentioned in the first chapter that you try to garden ‘by’ wildlife as much as for it. Have you faced any challenges while using this approach, and what tips would you give to someone who wants to try and garden by the wildlife and biodiversity found in their own patch?

The Accidental Garden isn’t an advice manual. It’s a hesitant, personal account of what happened when we opened the gate to what I call ’parallel development’ in our space. We do what humans do in gardens, and allow other organisms to do what they want. Allow them to become subjects rather than objects, and effectively become fellow gardeners. So I left the bramble patch be, instead of digging it up to plant some runtish nursery-forced oakling. Result: Field Maple and Hazel saplings growing through its protective thorniness. I kick bare patches in the grass and see what self-seeds. Broomrapes, Heartsease and Bee Orchids have been among the surprise settlers. If you’re prepared to junk judgemental labels like weeds and pests there are very few challenges from this approach.

22:50 by Marie-Lou Wechsler, via flickr.

There seems to be evidence that, if left to fend for itself, nature can thrive and colonise without human involvement, as seen along the Dorset coast in the 1800s. What do you think humankind can learn from this going forward?

I’m continually amazed that we find nature’s ability to thrive and adapt surprising. How else could the planet have supported an abundance of life for billions of years before humans arrived on the scene? The natural world has never lost that enterprise and agility. Our reluctance to take advantage of this, to capitalise on adaptive solutions to environmental change, is a typically arrogant stance by our species, still stuck in its ‘dominion over’ mode, and our loss, as well as the natural world’s.

As you mentioned in one of your chapters, many people relish how non-native plant species can transport you to other places, while they also play a key role in garden biodiversity and over time can become at home in the UK, as seen with Snowdrops and Horse Chestnut. How do you think we can nurture the inevitable introduction of new species without this disadvantaging native plants?

The only visiting species we have any trouble with is Ground Elder, and otherwise our patch is developing into a resilient fusion garden. Native plants and animals form new communities with benign settlers. I’m writing this in May just feet from a large and dazzling patch of self-sown flowers that have established themselves in the gravel round the house, including Red Campion, Green Alkanet, Lamb’s Lettuce, Red Valerian, Hedgerow Cranesbill, Ox-eye Daisies. My interest is in the vitality and autonomy of this community (and its insect life – Hummingbird Hawk-moths are the stars!). But in terms of pure visual attractiveness it would match any herbaceous border. I’m also pleased by the way Turkey Oaks are regenerating in and beyond our patch of treeland, growing alongside the Wild Cherries and Ashes, and proving more resistant to deer browsing than English Oaks. Of course, many newcomers cause trouble away from their home ground. But in an environment that is being damaged so much by climate change, we need new species to keep a biologically rich tapestry of life here, in case our traditional species have trouble coping. ‘Nativeness’ has always had strict time limits, at both ends.

Horse Chestnut seeds on a tree. — Horse Chestnut – Aesculus hippocastanum by Judy Gallagher, via flickr.

What was the most interesting finding that you came across while undertaking this journey with your own garden?

I think learning about eliasomes, the little parcels of fat on the ends of many seeds that are ants’ rewards for acting as beasts of burden. (They ferry the seeds to their hills and feed the fat globules to their grubs.) Our red ants’ hills are now like living standing stones and I like to think they are responsible for Cowslips now carpeting most of our grassland.

What do you hope the reader can learn from The Accidental Garden?

I’ve been astonished by the inventiveness of our fellow beings when allowed a little leeway to do their own thing. When we drop our paternalistic attitude, our belief that we know best what should live where. Gardens are often compared to theatres, with the gardener as writer, director, set designer rolled into one. Can’t they also be open stages where uninvited, unsupervised species and ancient processes of colonisation and decay can improvise their own landscapes? In the 20 years we’ve been here one half of our plot has transformed itself into a kind of common, with patches of treeland and open grass, and a total of over 150 wild plant species arrived largely of their own accord. A garden is only in the smallest sense a microcosm and metaphor for the planet. But in it it’s possible to glimpse larger lessons about neighbourliness and cooperation, and the fact that the natural world is not intrinsically a victim, in need of constant intensive care.

What are you occupying your time with at the moment? Do you have any other books in progress that we can hear about?

At my age I should be put out to grass. But I can’t stop thinking and scribbling. I’ve just finished an expanded new edition of my 1993 book on the cultural history of Nightingales, Whistling in the Dark, out next year. And I’m dogged by a fancy of tracing the wild thread in the art of nature (always my second subject) from the cave paintings in Derbyshire to Andy Goldsworthy’s spring-flower-enclosing snowballs. But maybe I should just be content to use my walking stick (my Instrument of Minimum Intervention) to scratch more patches in the grass.

The Accidental Garden is available to pre-order from our bookstore.