Foraging Four Months: July to October by Jen Abell
This time last year, my newsfeed was awash with Phenologists. Not that I knew that we were called Phenologists at the time. The Woodland Trust describes Phenology as ‘the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year, such as the flowering of plants,
of nature’s obvious offerings for the next four months in and around our city. Please refer to my February 2021 article for some fail sale foraging rules before you put your wellies on.
emergence of insects and migration of birds’. Well, with lockdown one well underway last July, we didn’t have a lot of choice but to observe what was happening under our noses did we? I couldn’t scroll without seeing 30 variations of garlic pesto, bottles clinking with champagne tinted elderflower cordial and dandelion coffee attempts with varying levels of success. Well done everyone!
Used for: Darned good eating! Raw, jam, pie, muffins (recommended), smoothies, cordial, summer pudding. It’s hard to overstate just how good blackberries are for the body and brain. They hold manganese which is important for brain function, potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamins A, C, and B vitamins.
This year the consensus seems to be camping, wild swimming, pint porn now the bars are back open and… did I mention camping? Just because we can venture further doesn’t mean we should forget nature’s sweet seasonal treats. After the wettest May on record, April’s steady stream of frosts, and a solstice to put your jumper on for, it’s been a strange growing season. Thankfully, Mother Earth’s compensation for passing the longest day, and stepping one toe out of Summer is the berry burst. Here’s some
28 CARDIFF TIMES
July What? Blackberries.
Where? Blackberries are common in Cardiff. You’ll find this sweet treat running parallel to most train lines, on Grangemoor, Cardiff Bay, the Llandaff part of Taff Trail, Ely trail. Foraging tip: You might find blackberries all the way to October/November so keep a food container on you when walking. I live by a railway line and find Cardiff’s bounty starts earlier than other parts of the UK, however. What? Wimberries (also known as Bilberries). Purple to black fruit, similar shape to blueberries with a flat
