Spring Foraging

This workshop will be a relaxing and practical morning finding food in the hedgerow and gardens of St Ann's Allotments. The workshop will be led by Jen Butcher, our horticultural lead at STAA.

Depending on the arrival of Spring, we'll be gathering plants such as wild garlic, nettles, jack by the hedge, hairy bittercress, fat hen and hawthorn leaves.

We'll talk about how spotting blossom can show where fruits may appear later in the year. We will conclude the morning by making some spring tonics and simple spring recipes.

Bring your keen eyes and expect tasty treats and some fascinating folklore!

Workshop details

Capacity: The maximum group size will be 10 people.

Tickets: The ticket price includes materials and tools.

Facilities: A compost toilet is available on the Nursery with sanitizer for hand washing.

Clothing: Please dress for the weather, wear plenty of layers, and comfortable footwear as we may need to walk on muddy paths.

Parking: There is plenty of free roadside parking along Ransom Road.

Contact: If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the organiser Kayleigh at info@staa-allotments.org.uk

About Jen from STAA

This workshop is facilitated by the knowledgable Jen, who has 17 years of experience in all aspects of edible growing, and who has been the Horticultural Project Lead at STAA since 2020. She is fascinated by all aspects of growing; veg, fruit and practical plants, their history, uses, and propagation. This includes everything from growing a runner bean, to foraging a dye plant, to trialing a new green.

She loves to spread gardening knowledge and enthusiasm by chatting to people, hearing their experiences, and sharing ideas. With 400,000 plant species on earth, there is so much to learn and discuss.

Outside of STAA, she has her own allotment, has been studying ethnobotany, and loves jumping in a lake somewhere beautiful.

About STAA

This event is organised by STAA, a small charity that manages a number of highly regarded projects across 30+ plots at St Ann's Allotments that provide community benefit and offer a wide variety of volunteering opportunities.

About St Ann's Allotments

St Ann’s Allotments are Grade 2* Listed by Historic England, and designated an Area of Importance for Nature Conservation. It is the oldest and largest are of Victorian detached town gardens in the UK, with over 700-years of history, 500 gardens, and 32 miles of hedgerow.