helenann

By helenann

One woman's Hogweed, another person's free food

Today, the sun shone continually from 10 am until 8pm, which was  remarkable  after the many dull,overcast,  days we have experienced  this August.  
We went to our local wildlife  area to remove the seed heads  of the thuggish hogweed growing in our wildflower meadow, before they drop their  seeds ready to regenerate next year. We hadn't got far when a young couple appeared who were  foraging for the seeds of hogweed and  wild carrot for making biscuits, and other  delicacies! They had spotted our profusion of hogweed a couple of weeks ago, and serendipitously returned today when we were happy to help them gather supplies.Last year they  set up a cafe /shop in Winchester, which I have yet to visit, called Proudfoot and Co which produces unusual drinks and food made from the wild and natural ingredients  they have foraged. I think I must pay them a visit, (bearing a gift of a bag of hogweed seeds!) .
As hogweed seed heads are not the  most photogenic  plant part,  I have blipped a photo of Marsh Woundwort  Stachys palustris which I found down by the river. Apparently it too is edible and certainly   woundwort, as the name suggests, was used for  medicinal purposes. The  flowers are very popular with bumble  bees. I too find  it  attractive, and if my garden were cool and damp, rather than dry chalk downland,  I would  consider introducing it there.

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