Nature's garden? Forest of food?

[Ultralight]

Having a Gardening & Farming forum is excellent!

I had a garden plot a couple years ago at a place I was renting. Grew some garlic, beans, squash, etc. I did the same at a community garden the season before that. I really enjoyed it! But now I don't really have access to a plot to garden in.

For this reason I have taken up foraging. Anyone else do this? Thoughts? Ideas?

I foraged service berries, mulberries, and strawberries this spring. Last fall I harvested some feral apples and pears.

I have gotten a few big hauls! June of 2013 I got about 5 gallons of mulberries.

[pinkytoe]

I look for free food on occasion. Heading out shortly to pick figs from trees in the hood - most people leave them for the birds. And of course, I always look for pecans in the fall. We have loquat trees everywhere too that were loaded this spring.

[Ultralight]

Nice!!!

[catherine]

There is a forager/rewilder in my area who is famous on the foraging scene. He does all kinds of classes, and I'm really interested in going on one this summer. I noticed I have stinging nettles cropping up in my vegetable garden and I just might eat them along with the "intended" edible plants. And after reading some of the things my forager friend has posted on FB, I'll never look at a dandelion the same way again.

[Ultralight]

catherine:

Very cool! We have one of those foraging experts here in Columbus, OH too. I took a class with her. I was so surprised by the range of edible plants here in the city. She turned me on to service berries! Yum!

If you go to a foraging class, let me know how you like it and what you learned. I 'd be curious what sort of plants are on your side of the street. :)

[IshbelRobertson]

I collect wild blaeberries, brambles (aka outwith Scotland as blueberries and blackberries!) wild garlic, sloe (to use in making Christmas sloe gin) and samphire from some areas near the sea.

Sadly, there are a number of 'professional' foragers who denude large areas to supply trendy restaurants, leaving very little for us who only take small amounts for home consumption.

[Ultralight]

Wild blackberries?! I want!

[IshbelRobertson]

They are considered a menace in many parts of the UK. i usually collect enough for pies, crumbles and bramble jelly. We are also lucky to have wild loganberries, which must have self-seeded as these are usually a cultivated crop.

[Ultralight]

How are blackberries a menace?

I have made many fruit crisps and crumbles with mulberries. :)

[Kestra]

Although I'm not in a position to do a lot of foraging at the moment, Saskatoon berries are my favourite. We picked a lot of them growing up as a kid in Alberta. Also high-bush cranberries, as we call them here. There might be a more official name. Within the city it's mostly chokecherries, which aren't as easy to use.

We have a lot of apples in Southern Manitoba, and a few other interesting things like grapes, plums, and cherries but those are harder to come by with the relatively short growing season.

There's also a fruitshare program here where homeowners sign up their fruit or rhubarb, then volunteers pick the fruit and it's all split 3 ways between the homeowner, pickers, and a local charity - usually homeless shelters and what not. I participate in that when I can but it's harder without a car or ladder.

Growing up foraging was a big thing - I still can't go for a walk without looking for wild strawberries, though I never find any in the places I frequent.

[IshbelRobertson]

The brambles on which they grow spread quickly and densely, they can easily take over areas, making it impossible to walk or hike and can be a danger to sheep and cattle.

[Ultralight]

I googled Saskatoon berries and they looks delicious!

When I was a kid we'd pick mostly mulberries and then put them in vanilla ice cream.

[Gardenarian]

There are lots of blackberries in US too - Himalayan blackberry is one of the most invasive plants. They'll be ready for picking in Oregon in a couple weeks.

Lots os people have those small cherry plums - almost more stone than fruit - I eat plenty of those walking around but don't gather them.

Oregon grape (mahonia, not a true grape) is native and abundant near my house. The fruit is very sour and a little bitter, but makes great 'lemonade.' You can also use it for jelly, which I haven't tried.

We have lots of miner's lettuce nearby. I'm going to try cultivating a patch in the backyard.

Lots of apple and pear trees on the streets, parks, and alleys. I pick up windfalls, and if no one seems to be harvesting the tree, will pick some as well.

Does anyone try to eat black walnuts? So messy!

[Ultralight]

Sounds like you've got a lot to choose from!