Lazy spring foraging in the pasture

LaurieLovesLearning

We took a couple hours this afternoon to go through our pasture to forage. If spraying doesn't happen around our place tomorrow, we'll go out again & see what we can get.

We have plenty of all of these right now because nobody is out on this piece of pasture just yet. We will be making a note of that...not until the violets are harvested!

We saw lots of stinging nettle & young mint, and picked 1 cup of violet blossoms... the leaves on those were too small to harvest.

I think we have turkey tail as well, but most is still young.

Additionally, we picked a bit of young dock & plantain.

We didn't look for chickweed, but I think it may be early. It's also where the cows are presently.

It doesn't matter though, because my indoor crop is abundantly luscious & thriving.

I am assuming for many of you, the violet harvest is done, but most of the other herbs should be available. What have you been going out to find lately?

Torey

The violets are just blooming here now.

I have to go remove a clump of stinging nettles from my daughter's garden that must have come in last year in the dirt she purchased. Didn't notice it growing last year so maybe it was just seed. Anyhow, its coming home to a spot that is hopefully sheltered from hubby's wayward weed eating. I will be heading out to a known patch of them tomorrow to do a bit of harvesting if its not too smoky.

We found a small patch of arnica flowering yesterday but not enough to pick. Checked on the area where I usually pick but its not ready there yet.

I haven't found chickweed in the garden yet. But its been so hot and dry. I'll have to check out my neighbour's house. He has a shady, damp spot that is always thick with chickweed. I haven't found any young dock yet, either.

We've had quite a bit of dandelion in salads already.

Lots of strawberry flowers! And Oregon grape is flowering; big clumps of it. Hopefully, it will be a good year for fruit.

LaurieLovesLearning

The official last frost should come soon here. The nanking cherries & haskaps are blooming. The cherries & saskatoons don't have their buds open just yet. We had our obligatory hail & large rain drops today, rain forecast for tomorrow, and so all we are missing is high winds & frost to complete the annual assault on the spring bloom.

Tomorrow, the smoke should move on from our area, for the time being at least.

vickeym

Still to wet from snow melt to do any foraging here. Tried to get to the spot where my husband "transplanted" (with a front end loader) my red raspberry bushes, golden raspberry bushes, the white raspberry bush that didn't survive the move. As well as blue berries, black currants, haskaps, chives, comfrey, rhubarb and more. Sunk to my ankles in clay/mud.

I can see some leaves budding and some green shoots that could be my chives or just grass. Hoping soon we can get out in the back of our property to do some foraging soon. Love to see what everyone is finding.

jowitt.europe

Well done @LaurieLovesLearning !

I am also in a harvesting and foraging mood. We had enough warmth and enough rain, so all the plants thrive. I collected lots of stinging nettle and ground elder. Our violets and cowslips are already gone. I am searching for places with blossoming thyme and wild sage, mountain valerian… There are also many herbs in the garden which need harvesting: mint, oregano, lemon balm, catnip. I leave some thyme and catnip for the bees. A really busy time 😊🌸

nicksamanda11

So glad you are all foraging now😁

Torey

I got some spruce tips but they are finished here now. I am planning a trip to higher elevations later this week and should be able to get more. I've missed the arnica at this elevation, too, so will be looking for that as well.

With the cold spring we had and then record heat (for early May), everything is coming all at once and its hard to keep up.

@nicksamanda11 It takes awhile for us northerners to catch up with the early harvests that our more southern members get to take advantage of.

SuperC

I forgot to harvest the violets yet mowed em down instead, oops.

I did harvest young dandelion leaves for salads.

marjstratton

Wanted to forage some nettles, but where we are down at sea level, all the nettles have started flowering. I have heard varying opinions as to whether they are still ok once they have started flowering or if they are best avoided after that. Still have plenty of dandelions that I should get out and harvest. Have plenty of cleaver, but my husband gets skin rash from picking them so I think that he would do best to avoid consuming them.

Torey

The wild roses are all in full bloom right now.

SuperC

Our Lilacs just ended their blooming cycle so they were all deadheaded.

i learned that after deadheading them, next season there will be more flowers.

LaurieLovesLearning

@SuperC I've been told the opposite, so I've never deadheaded lilacs. 😆

Ours are in full bloom right now. We recently found out that poultry love eating the flowers.