Creating A Forest Garden: plants 2*=plants found at ELL

* Shasta Daisy ~ Leucanthemum x superbum 'Becky' (Family:Asteraceae)

The leaves of this plant are produced in abundance from very early in thespring right through to August - but not everyone likes the taste. It's really easyto propagate from seed or division in spring. Shasta Daisy leaves are slightlyserrated, a bit like their relatives, Ox Eye daisy, but much larger. It's aherbaceous, self-fertile perennial that likes the sun and goes just over 1m tall.

* Globe Artichoke ~ Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus (Family: Asteraceae)

So this is the artichoke with edible flowers, not the Jerusalem Artichoke with edible tubers. The wild version of Globe Artichoke is Cardoon, which just has smaller flowers and more wildly serrated leaves. Globe Artichoke is perennial, grows up to 2m tall and needs the sun. We're used to eating the steamed flower buds, but apparently the stems, leaves and roots are also edible when cooked.

* Salsify ~ Tragopogon porrifolius (Family: Asteraceae)

This is a self-fertile biennial that grows 60cm tall. It has pink/purple flowers and youcan eat the roots, shoots, flowers and sprouted seeds. Young roots can be grated andeaten raw, cook older roots. Harvest the roots from October to spring. It's really easy togrow from seed. The flowers have a very elongated bud (4-5 cm long), before theyopen and before they develop a dandelion-style seed head. Salsify looks likeScozonera hispanica, except that Scozonera has yellow flowers.

* Calendula (Marigold) ~ Calendula officinalis (Family: Asteraceae)

Fabulous annual that self-seeds rampantly and grows cheerfully in challenging sites. According to Wikipedia it's actually a perennial, but is killed off by winter frost. This implies that if you were to bring it indoors, it would survive year on year. It's self-fertile and grows about 60cm tall. Chuck the (orange or yellow) flower petals and leaves into salads. This is the Marigold that is used in skin creams.

French Marigold ~ Tagetes patula (Family: Asteraceae)

This is the one people like to use for companion planting with tomatoes and potatoes.It's a self-fertile annual that grows up to 50cm tall and like Calendula, it enjoys thesun. It's easy to grow from seed and slugs love eating it. It's smaller than Calendulaand each compound leaf has several serrated leaflets in pairs.

* Yarrow ~ Achillea millefolium (Family: Asteraceae)

A perennial groundcover plant with feathery leaves, often found in lawns. It prefers fullsun and can grow in compact soil and in dry conditions. The new leaves taste good raw, particularly if the plant is growing in moist conditions and the leaves look pale andjuicy. During winter and spring, it is prostrate. Over the summer, it produces white

flowers on stems up to 50cm tall.* Polish Sorrel ~ Rumex acetosa (Family: Polygonaceae)

This has larger, rounder, tastier leaves than other Sorrel varieties such asRed Veined Sorrel. Better still, it rarely goes to seed but produces leavesfor and extended season. We've found the easiest way to propagate this isby division in the spring. It's a perennial that grows about 40cm tall andmuch prefers the shade. The raw leaves have a delicious green appleflavour. Some sources say that the oxalic acid in the leaves inhibits theabsorption of calcium. Apparently the roots and seeds are also edible.

Himalayan Rhubarb ~ Rheum australe (Family: Polygonaceae)

This beautiful architectural rhubarb prefers growing in the shade, reaching up to 2.5 m tall. It dies back in winter and in the spring it can be divided. The stems are edible and it's self-fertile. The leaves are much more jagged and purply than regular rhubarb.

* Horseradish ~ Armoracia rusticana (Family: Brassicaceae)

Well known for the sauce made from its deeply growing roots, we like to nibble on the explosive, dark green leaves of this herbaceous perennial. The sprouted seeds are also pretty good. It grows in full sun or partial shade, reaching 1m in height. It's easily propagated using short sections of root – one of the reasons why it's hard to get rid of horseradish once you've planted it!

* Perennial Broccoli ~ Brassica oleracea (Family: Brassicaceae)

We like eating the raw or cooked leaves and florets of this impressive plant, which grows over 1m tall. It can handle very light shade and is easy to grow from seed being quick to germinate and very robust. The flowers are self-fertile and it is beloved of bees.

* Turkish Rocket ~ Bunias orientalis (Family: Brassicaceae)

A clump forming perennial that often keeps a rosette of leaves over the winter. Itsleaves and flower heads are edible. The flower heads, harvested in summer, are like amustardy broccoli - excellent both raw in salads and steamed. The young leaves areharvested in spring and the larger ones a bit hairy in texture and can be picked all yearround. They are mustardy in flavour and best when cooked, though the young leavesare good in salads. This plant is not fussy with the soil but tolerates little shade.

* Perennial Rocket ~ Diplotaxis tenuifolia (Family: Brassicaceae)

Although it can get a bit leggy this is an excellent robust salad leaf and flower plant, which has a long production 'window'. It's easy to propagate by seed anddivision in late spring. Young plants transfer easily from the seed bed to the pot. It grows up to about 80cm tall and can form a really wide sprawling clump. If you cut it back it re-sprouts. It's self-fertile and likes a sunny position.

* Honesty ~ Lunaria annua (Family: Brassicaceae)We usually eat the purple flowers – but they just taste of cabbage! But the seeds areapparently a mustard substitute. These seeds are very distinctive looking in their papery, ovalcases. (Lunaria means 'moon-shaped'.) You will need to grind them up, add cold water andleave for 15 mins. Plants for a future says “Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt,inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild bitter mustard”. You can eat the root raw before itflowers. It's a self-fertile biennial which grows about 90cm tall in sun or light shade. Reallyeasy to grow from seed

* Land Cress ~ Barbarea verna (Family: Brassicacea)

This is a prolific self-seeding, self-fertile biennial with yellow flowers which grows up to 30cm tall. The leaves taste strongly of cress, like watercress, and you can sprout the seeds or make oil from them. A good ground cover plant which needs sun to grow well.

* Mallow ~ Malva sylvestris (Family: Malvaceae)

This is a perennial which can grow 70cm tall. The leaves are a bit mucousy(mucilaginous) but good padding in a salad, soup thickener or tea. Unfortunately theleaves are really prone to getting leaf rust, so we often grow Malva moschata, MuskMallow, instead. You can also eat the seeds and flowers. Cream, yellow and greendyes can be made out of the seed heads. It's easy to propagate from seeds orsoftwood cuttings.

* Hollyhock ~ Alcea rosea (Family: Malvaceae)A herbaceous perennial plant growing up 2.4m tall and which does not tolerate shade. It is in flower from July to September. The young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked; they have a mild flavour, but they are pretty hairy! We enjoy eating the Inner portion of stems raw, by peeling off the hairy skin. They are refreshing and crunchy. Flower petalsand flower buds can be eaten raw as added to salads. A nutritious starch is obtained from the root and a refreshing tea is made from the flower petals.

* Sea Beet ~ Beta vulgaris subsp. Maritima (Family: Amaranthaceae)

This ancestor of beetroot, sugar beet and chard which is found on sea coasts hasfleshy, dark green, shiny leaves. These can be eaten raw or cooked but the olderleaves get a bit bitter-tasting, so use loads of oil in the cooking. It grows up to 1.2mtall (when it goes to seed), is self-fertile and needs to be in the sun. What's reallycool about this plant is that the leaves are around really early spring when there'snot that much other stuff around.

* Fat Hen ~ Chenopodium album (Family: Amaranthaceae)

Fabulous annual plant with delicious young leaves and seeds. The leaves are 4% protein and are apparently best eaten cooked (due to the saponins) but are often eaten raw at ELL. The seeds can be ground and used as a flour, or even sprouted. If using the seed, soak it overnight to remove the saponins. They are 16% protein. This plant tends to appear uninvited, especially in nitrogen-rich soils, and is easy to grow from seed. It's self-fertile and grows over 1m tall in a sunny position. Sometimes susceptible to leaf mining insect larvae.

* Red Orach ~ Atriplex hortensis (Family: Amaranthaceae, Sub family: Chenopodioideae)

Another one from the excellent Amaranth family (used to bethe Goosefoot family) which has 180 genera. Sometimes it'scalled Orache or Mountain Spinach. It's another profligateannual which also has saponins. It can grow up to 1.8m talland it's self-fertile. The edibility is the same as for Fat Hen. Youcan get blue dye from the seeds.

* Saltbush ~ Atriplex halimus (Family: Amaranthaceae)

Really wind and drought resistant shrub with deliciously salty leaves – it literally pulls the salt out of the soil. The leaves are quite small and a bit wavier than Fat Hen or Orach, but the same kind of shape. They look a grey-green colour and are kind of matt. It can grow up to a couple of metres tall. Flowers are male or female but both can be found on the same plant – making it self-fertile. The seed is edible and can be groundup and used as flour. The ash from the burnt plant can be used as the

alkali in soap making. Does best in full sun. You can propagate it by seed, by semi-ripe cuttings in July/August.

* Lemon Balm ~ Melissa officinalis (Family: Lamiaceae)

This tough, herbaceous perennial has citrusy smelling leaves and it grows in clumps upto 80cm tall. It likes the sun but can handle ¾ shade. Some would describe it as overenthusiastic in its growing behaviour. Others would say that the tasty lemon balm teaand cordials more than make up for this.Deciduous, shade tolerant, performance rating: 3, self-fertile. Lemon balm is a clump forming aromatic European perennial. It is herbaceous, but thecentre may stay evergreen in mild winter climates. It can self-seed freely.Size 60-80cm (2’-2’8’’) high and 40cm (1’4’’) wide. Conditions Well drained soil. Uses The leaves are good in salads in small quantities. The leaves and stems make great herb tea. Harvest and storage Leaves for eating are mainly used in spring when tender, though for teas they can be usedat any time in the season. They can be dried but lose a lot of flavour. Cooking & Processing Not usually cooked, as the flavour is quickly lost. Secondary Uses Bee plant and mineral accumulator. General protective aromatic plant. Propagation By seed or by division in spring. Maintenance The dead stems can be cut back in late winter to allow the new growth as much light as possible.

* Mint ~ Mentha spp (Family: Lamiaceae)

Examples: Water Mint ~ Mentha aquatica; Peppermint ~ Mentha piperita; Spearmint ~ Mentha spicata; and Apple Mint Mentha suaveolensDeciduous, shade tolerant, performance rating: 4, self-fertile.Uses The leaves and stems are used for flavouring, herb teas, etc. and can be dried.Harvest & storage Harvest leaves for fresh use at any time in the growing season. The essential oils peak just before flowering so pick leaves to dry then, and dry quickly. Cooking & Processing Add to cooked dishes near the end of the cooking toretain flavour. Can be added to chutneys and pickles to give a minty edge. Propagation Propagate from seed (this has the benefit of genetic diversity) or from root or shoot cuttings. Maintenance This involves stopping them going where you

don’t want them, and cutting back or treading down the dead stems in late winter allows new growth as much light as possible. Mint rust can be a serious disease where there is no genetic variety.

* Hyssop ~ Hyssopus officinalis (Family: Lamiaceae)

All the plants in the Lamiaceae family have a square stem. It's a herbaceousperennial or evergreen shrub, depending on where you read. I'd go with the latterfor the plants I know. What is great about Hyssop is that it is incredibly robust,tolerating dry exposed positions and it even does better if you cut it back hard. Thehighly aromatic, tasty but slightly antiseptic leaves and flowers can be used in stewdishes – don't use large amounts if you're pregnant though as it can causemiscarriage. It's self-fertile and grows up to about 70cm tall. Easy to propagate byseeds or division in spring or autumn. Easy to dry and store.

* Red Deadnettle ~ Lamium purpureum (Family: Lamiaceae)

This is a widespread self-fertile ephemeral plant that grows about 30cm tall.The leaves look a bit like small nettle leaves, but there's no sting. The whole head of the plant – leaf and flower are edible, but have caused allergic reactions in some when eaten raw. It's a quick grower and so you can find young plants pretty much the whole year – especially since it doesn't get destroyed by frost etc. Needs sun.

* Oregano ~ Origanum vulgare (Family: Lamiaceae)

A wonderful perennial frost resistant plant with delicious leaves and flowersthat can be eaten raw or cooked – even in teas. Grows about 70cm tall inspreading clumps and it's easy to dry. Leaves are 11% protein in dry weightand rich in minerals. You can get a red or purple dye from the flower topsand it repels ants and other insects. Divide in March or October. Basalcuttings of flowerless shoots in June.

* Sage ~ Salvia officinalis (Family: Lamiaceae)

A perennial evergreen shrub with a woody frame and pale purple flowers that grows about 60cm tall. The pale green/grey leaves are highly aromatic but a little strong tasting. Flowers and leaves are good raw or cooked - especially in teas or infused in vodka! Like some of theother Lamiaceae, it is pretty antiseptic so good for mouth washes etc. Really prefers a sunny position and you can propagate it by seeds, cuttings (May) or layering in the spring or autumn.

* Caucasian spinach ~ Hablizia tamnoides (Family: Amaranthaceae,Subfamily: Betoideae)

This fabulous perennial climber has tasty spear-shaped leaves which canbe eaten raw or cooked. It grows quickly, up to 3m tall and producesclusters of tiny green flowers in June. Although seedlings have been eatenby slugs and snails, established plants seem resilient. It needs someshade and dies back over winter. Same Subfamily as chard and beetroot.

* Hop ~ Humulus lupulus (Family: Cannabaceae)

Yes, it's in the same family as Cannabis sativa. It has edible shoots and the unfertilised female flowers are used in beer making. It is antimicrobial and is used in making natural deodorants. The lupulin in the flowers is supposed to have sedative effects as well. Hops are herbaceous climbing perennials that can go to 6m high. You need a male and female plant if you want to get the seeds. It's easy to propagate it by division or by Serpentine layering in the spring.

* Grape ~ Vitis vinifera (Family: Vitaceae)

Another low maintenance climber that has plenty going for it: edible leaves andfruit. Can handle quite a lot of shade and dry soil conditions. Grows up to 15mhigh! It's self-fertile and it dies back to a minimal woody frame in winter.Apparently the seed can pressed to get oil, or roasted to become a coffeesubstitute. Someone try this out please! Easily gets honey fungus as well. Haveseen advice against summer pruning because this causes profuse bleeding buthave not found this to be true at ELL. Easiest way to propagate is by hardwoodcuttings. Take 60-90cm lengths in October/November. Tie in bundles and buryby 2/3 in the ground until December. Then divide into shorter cuttings with 3 or 4 buds (15-30cm long). Push 2/3 of each cutting into ground, as with other hardwood cuttings.

Kiwi ~ Actinidia deliciosa (Family: Actinidiaceae)This perennial climber is usually not self-fertile – you need a male and female plant for pollination and fruiting to occur. There are a few cultivars that are self-fertile, however. It can handle semi shade and it can grow up to 9m tall! It needs moist soil. The fruit, which ripens in November, is high in Vitamin C and stores for up to 4 months. It originally comes from China. Try taking softwood cuttings in Spring, semi-ripe cuttings in mid Summer and hardwood cuttings in October.

Russian Comfrey ~ Symphytum × uplandicum  (Family: Boraginoideae)

This is a self-fertile, deep-rooted herbaceous perennial that grows up to 1.2m high.Although it does have edible leaves, apparently, the reason we include it is for itsuse a mineral accumulator. It's very rich in nitrogen and potassium. Cut the leavesup to four times a year (when it's about 60cm tall, leave about 5cm of stalk) and layas a mulch or rot it in water - leave for 5 weeks and dilute 1:15 before using as aliquid feed. East to propagate by division or root cuttings at any time of year.Distinguish it from Alkanet and Borage because it has purple flowers that are likeelongated bells. Borage has bright blue flowers with five pointy petals. Alkanet hasfive rounded blue petals.

* Violet ~ Viola riviniana (Family: Violaceae)

This pretty little groundcover perennial only grows 20cm tall and can be found growing in dappled shade. The heart-shaped leaves and slightly scented purple flowers are edible, having a mild taste – good salad padding. It thickens soups as well. Propagate by division in Autumn.

* Nasturtium ~ Tropaeolum majus (Family: Tropaeolaceae)

This wonderful annual is easy to grow from seeds. It has edible leaves, stems andseeds (26% protein and 10% oil) which taste peppery. It's actually a climber and canreach 3.5m tall, but is often left to sprawl over flower beds, becoming huge bySeptember. It's self-fertile, needs to be in the sun and is destroyed by the first frosts.

Walnut ~ Juglans regia (Family: Juglandaceae)

One upshot of global warming could be that we'd get more of these fantastic trees growing in the UK. Atthe moment they grow well in places like Italy and Bosnia and there are many in London. The amount of nuts they produce depends on how well-watered and well-sunned they are. Walnut trees have male and female flowers on the same tree and these come before the leaves. The male catkins grow singly on year old twigs and are green/yellow. They have short stalks. The female flowers appear on new growth. There are two to five flowers per cluster, each with fleshy red or white styles protruding. Walnut trees only start producing fruit after 6-15 years. These have an outer husk, which pulls off easily to reveal the familiar shelled walnut. This outer husk is thick and green at first, turning thin and brown when ripe. The roughly spherical nut is obviously partitioned into two halves and the seed inside is likewise divided. They are extremely lumpy, like miniscule brains. The best way to collect the nuts is by hitting the branches with a long stick. The leaves are a bit like ash leaves, because they're divided into five to nine leaflets. However, walnut tree leaves smell of shoe polish. The leaves are quite thick, matt and slightly serrated.

DIMENSIONStree height: 20mtree spread: 20mmax trunk width: 1.5mlifespan: 200 yrsmale catkin length: 6-13cmmale catkin diameter: 2cmfruit diameter: 4-5cmleaf length: c.10cmleaf cluster length: 30cm

Eating Eat the raw or cooked seeds. They have a mild flavour, but the thin brown seed skin can be bitter. They have 650 calories per 100grams and contain fat, protein, phosphorus and vitamins B and D.Pickle the whole immature nut in vinegar or preserve the shelled nut in syrup. You can mash walnuts and use as a flavouring, or extract the tasty oil (but use it quickly as it tends to go off). About one seventh of the oil is omega 3. The soft green seed husk contains quite a lot of vitamin C. You can dry and store the husks for later. Poison The leaves and outer husks are poisonous to most fish and animals. Herbicide Juglone in the leaves and roots will inhibit the growth of other plants. Put leaves onthe ground you wish to keep weed free and water the leaves. Insect repellent Crush the leaves. Hard wood Used for furniture making because it looks beautiful and is hard and durable. The rounded growths from the side of trees, burls, can be used to make bowls or a valuable veneer. Wood polish Rub walnuts onto the wood and wipe off with a clean cloth. Dye Yellow dye from the seed husks and leaves - you can use this to stain wood. Obtain a brown dye from the fresh or dried leaves and mature husks. It doesn't need a mordant and turns black if you use an iron pot. It's also great for dying hair. Youcan get a golden dye from the catkins. Tannin The soft green seed husk contains lots of tannin. Soap You can make walnut soap and toothpaste.

* Ice Plant ~ Hylotelephium spectabile <formerly Sedum spectabile> (Family: Crassulaceae)

This self-fertile, herbaceous perennial has scoop-shaped leaves that areperfect in dips – the taste varies depending on the age of the plant. It's not anunusual plant, it's very drought resistant *and* it's extremely easy topropagate by cuttings or by division over the summer. It grows about 50cmtall.

Monkey Puzzle ~ Araucaria araucana (Family: Araucariaceae)

This Chilean, endangered, evergreen tree can reach 40m tall and you need both male and female trees to be able to get a crop (on the female trees). Monkey Puzzletrees are slow growing and only start producing nuts after 20-30 years – which is when you can tell what sex they are! The female cones are spherical and the male shaped like cucumbers. The seeds are about 3cm long and 1cm wide and taste slightly like pine nuts (according to PFAF) or chestnuts (according to ART). Each female cone takes about 2 years to mature and contains about 200 seeds. As such,they should be considered a long-term investment! You can propagate them by seedor by semi-ripe cuttings in May to July. They don't have a huge root system so should be planted out as soon as possible. The leaves are like thick triangular

scales which cover all but the oldest parts of a tree.

* Persimmon ~ Diospyros kaki (Family: Ebenaceae)

This is a deciduous tree that reaches 12m tall. You normally need male and femaletrees to gain fruit but there are some self-fertile vaieties (e.g. the one at ELL - 'Fuyu').Some cultivars, like 'Fuyu' are better than others because the fruit doesn't containtannins and has a much longer window of edibility. Others must be left to soften – theyremain on the tree after the leaves have dropped. Sharon Fruit is the name forPersimmon fruits that have been processed to have the astringency removed. Theystart producing fruit after about 3 to 4 years and these are large, shiny, orange ballswhich have a lot of flesh and a delicious taste. The best place to plant them is in asheltered spot by a wall. You can propagate it by seeds, semi-ripe cuttings inJuly/August or by layering in the spring.

Staghorn Sumach ~ Rhus typhina (Family: Anacardiaceae)

This is another deciduous shrub or small tree that needs both a male and female plant. It gets its name from its branches, which look like a deer's antlers in velvet. It's grows about 6m tall and is easy to propagate by suckers – in fact it's seen as invasive in some parts of the world. You can also grow it from seed and and semi-ripe cuttings in July/August. Can grow in a tough position and you can make a lemonade-type drink by soaking the ripe fruit clusters in cold water for half and hour – 6-8 clusters per jug. They should have a slightly tart taste when you rub the berries

with your finger and taste it – some time between June and September. Don't confuse it with Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima, (which doesn't have the bright red fruit clusters but has similar looking leaves) because that is definitely an unwanted plant.

* Goji Berry ~ Lycium barbarum (Family: Solanaceae)

Also known as Wolf Berry, Chinese Boxthorn or Duke of Argyll's Tea Plant. An easy togrow, self-fertile, deciduous shrub whose fruits are best when dried. It grows about 2.5mtall but sprawls very wide. Tolerates most soils and shade but fruits ripen better when in asunnier position – ideally next to a fence where it can sprawl without annoying anyonewith its thorns. The fruits are harvested in the autumn when red and softish. The springshoots and leaves can also be eaten cooked and have slightly minty flavour, apparently.From the Solanaceae family so the leaves and shoots should be eaten with caution,though there are no reports of toxicity. Really easy to propagate by layering, semi-ripecuttings in July/August and by division in winter.

* New Zealand Flax ~ Phormium tenax (Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae)

An evergreen, perennial that can tolerate heavy shade and can reach 3m tall. We love using the leaf fibres as string and the leaves are flexible and strong: perfect for weaving. The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute and an edible nectar is obtainable from the flowers. The seeds have been recommended as an addition to bread and cakes. An edible gum is obtained from the base of the leaves. It is self-fertile. It's easy to propagate by division in spring or by seed.

* Day Lily ~ Hemerocallis fulva (Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae)

There are many varieties of these plants with some that are evergreen. Although they cantolerate a little shade prefer a sunny spot. The flowers, buds, young shoots and roots ofthis plant are edible. Flowers and buds can be harvested in summer and autumn andhave a sweet, musky, earthy taste. In China they are called 'golden needles' and used insoups and other dishes. Pick flower buds in the morning, before they open, then dry andstore. Just soak them for an hour before cooking. The roots, tubers, have a nutty flavourand can be eaten cooked or raw. The very young shoots have a sweet flavour and can bea celery or asparagus substitute. The fulva species is a herbaceous perennial that is deadeasy to grow. It reaches about 1m tall and is easy to propagate by division in spring.

* Bog Myrtle ~ Myrica gale (Family: Myricaceae)

This is a cool deciduous shrub that reaches 2m tall. It has highly aromatic fruit that is used as a flavouring and in teas. If you soak the leaves and fruit in water boiling water, the wax floats to the surface and you can skim it off to make scented candles, apparently. It is also used in dye making and as an insect repellent. It is a Nitrogen fixer and you need male and female plants if you want the seeds. It also really needs to grow in moist or wet soil. You can propagate it by seeds, semi-ripe cuttings in July / August, hardwood cuttings in November / December, by layering inspring and division over winter!

* Ostrich Fern ~ Matteuccia struthiopteris (Family: Onocleaceae)

This self-fertile, shade-loving herbaceous perennial can reach 1.5m tall and ispropagated by division in the spring or autumn. It is the only species in thegenus Matteuccia and is the only edible fern we know about – steam theyoung tips, or fiddleheads, for 15 mins. It has male and female fronds. Themales are longer and ostrich-shaped. The female ones are 40-60cm long andthey go brown in autumn, curling around their sporangia, which are releasedthe following spring.

* Red Valerian ~ Centranthus ruber (Family: Valeriaceae)

This is a self-fertile, herbaceous perennial that grows up to 90cm tall. It hasedible leaves, but the taste varies considerably; young ones growing in a damp setting are the nicest. It needs the sun and the flowers are sometimes pink, sometimes white. You can propagate it by seed, division and summer cuttings. It grows very commonly in the wild.

* Sweet Chestnut ~ Castanea sativa (Family: Fagaceae)

The Romans introduced sweet chestnuts and I think they are vastly under-planted. Mature samples canbe found growing along paths or roads or randomly, in the middle of woods. They are more common in the Southern UK, but could benefit from a drier, hotter climate. If you can get past the prickles, the seeds are absolutely delicious. It amazes me how many are wasted each autumn, perhaps because people simply don't know they're edible.

IDENTIFICATIONThe leaves and prickly seed husks are the most distinctive features of sweet chestnut and you can find them below the trees pretty much all year round. The big leaves are elongated and oval with large serrations. The green-yellow seed husks can be distinguished from horse chestnut (conker) husks by their thinner, more numerous and more flexible prickles. The seeds also look different: conkers are more spherical whereas sweet chestnuts are smaller, and taper to a hairy point. There are two to sevenglossy, brown seeds in each husk.When the trees flower in the summer, you can see many long yellow-white catkins pointing upwards and outwards from newly grown twigs. Male and female flowers appear on the same upright catkins - the males at the tips, females at the bases. The stem-less flowers grow quite sparsely, straight from the stalk of the catkin. The fertilised female flowers swell into the prickly fruits that open when they are ripe.The bark is quite deeply fissured and tends to spiral around the trunk.

DIMENSIONSheight: 20-35mmax trunk width: 2mleaf length: 16-28cmleaf width: 5-9cmflower stalk length: 10-20cmseed husk diameter: 3-7cmseed length: 2-6cm

Eating Eat the seeds raw or preferably cooked - they taste a little like sweet potato. Slit them before roasting or boiling. You can dry the seed and use as flour. Roast the seeds to make a coffee substitute. Apparently you can extract the sugar, but I haven't yet found how. I'm guessing you use the fact that sugar's water soluble as a starting point. Medicinal Leaves and bark are high in tannin. Harvest them insummer and use fresh or dried. A leaf or bark infusion will help with things like whooping cough and sore throats. A leaf poultice helps with rheumatism and stiff joints. Starch Use the seed flour to whiten and stiffen linen. Wood The growing wood is good for carpentry, handles and posts. It is hard, strong, light and resists rot. Older wood cracks more easily and can be brittle. Coppicing Quick to re-grow, producing usable timber every ten years. Fuel Burns well. Baskets Use the growing stems. Tannin Use the bark, wood and husks. Shampoo Use the leaves and seed skins to make a hairwash.

* Columbine ~ Aquilegia (Family: Ranunculaceae)

Although it's in the buttercup family (which is generally considered to be poisonous), eating a few Aquilegia flowers and leaves won't do any harm. The flowers are very sweet with nectar and since they hybridize freely, end up with all sorts of colours and patterns. If they are dried or cooked you can be sure of destroying anything toxic in them. Aquilegia is self-fertile, can handle dappled shade and grows up to 1m tall. It's easy to propagate by seed and you can also divide it in spring. 'Aquila' is Latin for eagle – the flower petals are compared to eagle claws.

* Stinging Nettle ~ Urtica dioica (Family: Urticaceae)

The antidote for nettle stings is the juice from dock leaf leaves - and docks always seem to grow near stinging nettles. Nettles have about 30 associated insect species, so are pretty good for wildlife. These quick-growing plants tend to grow in soil rich in phosphorus and nitrogen - so indicate good soil fertility. The distinctive serrated leaves and stems are covered in brittle, hollow hairs that are full of sting: histamine (skin irritant); acetylcholine (burns the skin); and serotonin (encourages the other two chemicals). Each plant has spreading rhizome roots and a thick main stem with perhaps a few leafy side stems. The flowers dangle downwards in clusters from the leaf bases. They don't look much like flowers; more like bumpy green catkins that look hardly any different once they've changed to seeds.

DIMENSIONSheight: 80-180cmleaf length: 3-15cmmax flower cluster length: 10cmseeds: 1-1.5mm

Eating Cook fresh or dried young leaves for about 15 mins to kill the sting. Anice way to eat them is toasted lightly over an open flame or as crisps – pulloff the leaves and put in an oven at its lowest setting. They are a good sourceof iron and vitamins A and C, and they contain protein, calcium, potassium,silicon, manganese and sulphur. Eat spring shoots and roots when the shootsare about 20cm long. Also pick new leaves throughout the season. Drink dried leaf tea as a tonic and nettle beer from the young shoots. Make nettle syrup with the young leaves. A nettle juice or salted decoction will act as a rennet substitute. Companion plant Plants growing near nettles have more essential oils and are more resistant to insects. Nettles are good breeding grounds for lacewings and ladybirds which will feed on aphids. Shampoo Because it's quite astringent, a nettle decoction will help with dandruff. String and cloth As anyone who has ever read Hans Christian Andersen's The Flying Swans will know, nettles can be made into threads. They are 17% fibre and old plants are best. First retand then use the extracted fibres. Paper Use the plant fibres to make paper. Sugar and alcohol You can make sugar and alcohol from extracted nettle fibres - the fibre is almost 87% cellulose. Compost activator Use the whole plant. Liquid feed Soak the leaves for one to three weeks to make a great liquid feed. Insect repellent Soak the leaves for one to three weeks to make an insect repellent. Oil The seeds contain oil suitable for lamps. Waterproofer Rub nettle juice or a salted decoction into leaky wooden tubs. Dye Make a decoction from the leaves and stems to produce a permanent green dye. You can get a yellow dye from the root if you boil it with alum.

* Gladiolus ~ Gladiolus dalenii (Family: Iridaceae)

This self-fertile, herbaceous perennial grows from a corm and can reach 1.5m. It has atall flower spike with about 8 trumpet-shaped, orange flowers. Sometimes the flowers have tasted delicious and sweet, other times, not! You can divide the corms in autumn.PFAF talks about digging these up and planting the following spring, but they definitelymanage to survive the winters in London.

Wood Sorrel ~ Oxalis acetosella (Family: Oxalidaceae)

There are loads of different types of Oxalis, all high in oxalic acid (also found inplants from the Amaranthaceae Family and Rhubarb). Cooking reduces theoxalic acid content. The edible leaves come in threes, each one capable offolding in half at night or when it rains. It likes growing in the shade and growsjust 15cm tall. Apparently you can dry the leaves and use it as a curdling agent.The easiest way to propagate it is by division in the spring.