Niki Segnit author of * The Flavour Thesaurus * John Wright is an authoritative and often funny guide . It has a handy, detailed guide for every month of the year with lists of what you can expect to find when, with lots of insightful knowledge and clear, colour photographs from a seasoned forager. Popularised by a number of top chefs, it’s a practice that’s seen a huge surge in interest in recent years, in line with a greater focus on both what we eat and where it comes from.

You’ll learn the stories behind the Latin names, the best way to tap a Birch tree, and how to fry an ant, make rosehip syrup and cook a hop omelette.The sweet scent taste of yarrow leaves makes them a popular choice for desserts and drinks, while borage, with its blue, star-shaped flowers, is everywhereand makes a nice — and, in fact, traditional — addition to a pitcher of Pimm’s. In The Forager’s Calendar he lists well over 100 edible plants that flourish in the British countryside, grouping them according to the month when they are at their best and providing a detailed description and a colour photograph with each entry. Rose petals, including those from dog roses — which grow profusely in hedgerows — have myriad uses, too.

Violets also start to bloom towards the end of the month; the flowers make pretty additions to salads and desserts. Hazelnuts, when fully ripe, drop from their husks, although they’re also edible when they’re fresh and green.Early spring is peak nettle season — harvest them sooner rather than later (with good gloves), picking only the top few leaves.