FRESH FOOD IN SEASON

Foraging for wild food

If you are foraging for wild food, remember to always follow the Foraging Code (WildFoodUK), respect the land, animals, birds and other creatures who depend on wild food and undisturbed habitats to survive.

I have written about the benefits of foraging and where to start in The Wonders of Wild Food and Foraging for Nature's Bounty.

In the fields and hedgerows

Alexanders, Bistort, Burdock, Chickweed, Comfrey Leaves, Dandelion, Fat Hen, Good-king-henry, Hawthorn Tips, Hop Tips, Nettle Tips, Orache, Rampion, Salad Burnet, Sea Beet, Sorrel, Tansy, Watercress, Wild Garlic, Wintercress, Wood Sorrel

Edible Wild Flowers

Primulas, Cowslips, Chickweed, Violets, Dandelions, Wild Garlic

At your local market or farm shop

Vegetables - Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Carrots, Brussels Sprouts, Chicory, Kale, Onions, Radishes, Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Chard, Endive, Lettuce, Spinach, Turnips, Force Rhubarb

Fresh Herbs - Bergamot, Catnip, Chervil, Chives, Dill, Fennel, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.

THINGS TO DO IN THE GARDEN

There is always something to do in the garden at any time of year and get ready for a busy time leading up to Spring. Work with the longer days to gradually increase your range of gardening tasks. This is the perfect time to prepare seed beds and sow your seeds. It is also your last chance to prune your Roses.

Preparing - building your growing beds, preparing and enriching the soil naturally ready for new seedlings and plants.

Feeding - enriching the soil with natural manure, homemade organic fertilisers or 100% organic balanced natural fertiliser where needed.

Pruning, Staking and Tying - pruning perennials and Roses, staking and tying tall plants and fruit bushes to encourage greater flowering and fruiting through the year.

Propogation - germinating seeds and planting indoors or in a greenhouse before transferring to pots and garden beds when the soil is warm enough and the frosts have abated.

Root Spices - sprouting rooting herbs indoors such as Garlic, Ginger and Turmeric so that they can be planted out in small pots before transferring later to garden beds or larger pot outside.

Hedgehog Gaps - making sure there are planty of gaps in your garden fence to allow Hedgehogs to migrate from garden to garden to find food and rear their young

Bird Feeders and Nesting Boxes - thoroughly cleaning bird feeders and nesting boxes to continue supporting birds while its cold and while everything in Nature is only just starting to bud. Prepare for the breeding season by providing clean and safe places for our feathered friends to mate and rear their young.

THINGS TO DO IN NATURE IN MARCH

Exploring rivers and ponds

March is a perfect time to go on a hunt in watery places to find Frog and Toad spawn in ponds and pools. This is the month when amphibians are at the height of their breeding season which began in mid February.

There are only a few species native to the British Isles including the Common Frog and Pool Frog, the Common Toad and Natterjack Toad, and the Great Crested, Smooth and Palmate Newt.

Toads cover long distances as far as two kilometres to return to their breeding ponds and find a partner. Frogs return to the ponds they were born in to breed, and the males make themselves know to the females by croaking loudly. Male Newts attract a mate by performing elaborate displays with their tails, and when they are ready, the females lay their eggs in underwater vegetation. 

If you keep your eyes open, you can't fail to miss large clumps of jelly and Toad spawn clinging together on the surface of the water and in vegetation in a string-like pattern and structure. 

Walking in the rain

Rainfall in the British Isles though March can vary widely in different places, and Spring showers are often lighter than you might expect, passing quickly and leaving behind a glossy and sparkling landscape that is a beautiful sight to see.

The weather might be unpredictable but is often pleasant so don't let grey skies put you off from wraping up and going outside to explore. Very often, there is a cosy cafe or vibrant pub is never far away, perhaps even with an open fire to dry you off suitably after a shower.

The best way to enjoy any walking experience is to wear layers of warm clothes in natural fibres (to allow your skin to breathe) with a hooded waterproof jacket on top. Hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes will keep your feet warm and dry, and will enable you to traverse uneven ground in safety.

I hope you enjoy making the most of Nature through March for your good health, happiness and wellbeing, and look forward to seeing you here for the next Almanac on 1 April 2025.

Sue Cartwright

Spiral Leaf

Buy a book!

Books with seasonal information presented for each month of the year are available from the Spiral Leaf bookshop using the links below.

The Almanac - A Seasonal Guide to 2025 by Lia Leendertz

The Leaping Hare Nature Almanac by Raluca Spatacean

The Forager's Calendar: A Seasonal Guide to Nature’s Wild Harvests by John Wright

Wild Hares and Hummingbirds by Stephen Moss

The Running Hare by John Lewis-Stempel

The Leaping Hare by George Ewart Evans and David Thomson

Meadowland - The Private Life of an English Field by John Lewis-Stempel

Spiral Leaf may earn a small commission on books sold using the above links in support of independent book sellers and bookshops at no extra cost to you!