Friday 26 June 2015

Elderflower Foraging Year R



Picking the elderflowers
The joys of foraging are practised by enthusiastic adults and the riches appreciated. How many children are allowed, encouraged or know how to forage?

With the right knowledge passed on, future generations will be able to enjoy seasonal delights from our hedgerows and orchards.

Year R have experienced how fun it can be to harvest elderflowers from our orchard this week connecting with where flavours come from. Many were surprised to learn how a flower could flavour food or drinks. While harvesting the children noted the pungent smell and visiting pollinators in the beautiful setting of our orchard.

Taking armfuls of the white flowers into the kitchen we decided to make our own elderflower cordial. After washing, slices of lemon were added into a large pan, bags of sugar were measured and boiling water added to dissolve. This was the most magical part of the experience for the children, a solid and liquid combining. The liquid was added to the flowers and lemon and left for the boring part to steep over the weekend. Next week this will be filtered and the exciting tasting will take part with the whole of the year group, votes on taste will take place deciding if elderflower flavouring is a hit or miss!
Elderflowers and lemons

Foragers - job done!

Monday 8 June 2015

Yellow Rattle

Yellow rattle
Over the past two summers, we have sprinkled yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor) seeds in our wild meadow areas.  This is a very handy plant as it is semi-parasitic and feeds off grass.  Grass is a problem because it takes most of the nutrients from the soil.  If we can establish yellow rattle then we can control the grass and allow other wild flower species to grow.  This summer, we have a fine show of yellow rattle growing throughout our orchard.

We have also mixed in a collection of wild flower seeds suited to our soil and location and eagerly wait to see what is appearing each year.  One plant that seems to have done well is corncockle (Agrostemma githago) - a rare plant in the wild.  It used to grow on the edges of fields but over the years herbicides and changes in agricultural practice have gradually killed it off.  It is a stunning plant and it is great to see it colonising our meadow. 
Yellow rattle is so called because the seed pods of this plant literally rattle when they are ready for distribution.


Corncockle in sunlight

This corncockle is home for a cucumber spider