Foraging walk

Today we went on one of the Manchester festival walks along the Rochdale canal in Newton Heath.
It was a foraging walk led by Jesper Launder, a very knowledgeable herbalist.

The first plant we saw was Ribwort plantain, the brown tops before they flower taste nutty and the leaves are said to be good as a tea to help cure hayfever.

Ox eye daisy - unopened flowers are tasty

Ground elder - young shoots

Meadowsweet

Common/Tufted vetch - like pea shoots

We found many other edible plants, many i can't remember now but some we discussed were:

Japenese knotweed - not as deadly as is made out. (Can be kept under control by nettles)
Rosebay Willow herb
Hawthorn - flowers smell rather fishy but apparently berries make delicious ketchup
Sorrel

 Some goslings on the canal

An interesting walk and lots of new tastes to be tried!