A Lewisham-based pharmacist and forager has shared five things you can forage in your local green spaces and how to use them.

Fawz Farhan, from Lewisham, first began her career as a pharmacist 30 years ago, and has been practising medicine ever since.

However, Fawz began to develop an interest in the medicinal power of plants as a way to maintain health and wellbeing.

Fawz explained: “I’m a pharmacist, but I have got an interest in nature-inspired health.

“Pharmacy had its origins in herbal medicines and looking at nature. It's evolved over the years to be more about pills and medicines and drugs.

“So, I suppose because that's my day job, I was really interested in the antidote to that and just looking at the balance, particularly for wellness and preventative health and well-being.”

Now she frequents her Instagram page posting foraging guides and recipes, using ingredients she has sourced, and also regularly teaches monthly foraging classes in Manor House Gardens in Lee Green.

According to Fawz, there are plenty of things you can find to forage, whether it be on a country walk, a visit to the woods or even in your local green space.

Today we’ve rounded up five things you can usually find in the Summer months in your local green spaces to forage and how to use them:

Foraging safety tips and etiquette

  • Some plants can be poisonous, so it’s really important to familiarise yourself with the plants you are foraging.
  • Start out small: Get to know a few plants and how to identify them with confidence, before moving onto learning about more.
  • Use a guide: Consult a good guidebook or app with foraging tips.
  • When foraging ensure the plants you pick are not where a dog could have urinated on to avoid contamination.
  • Make sure it's not near a road: You get a lot of pollutants that have been absorbed by the plants. You don't have to go far away from the road, because pollutants are quite heavy.
  • Get permission: Always get permission from the landowner or whoever's garden you're picking from.
  • Take only what you need: Always ensure to leave enough for other people as well as the wildlife.

Lime Flowers

Lime flowers, otherwise known as Linden flowers, are a yellow coloured bloom that grow on trees, and tend to be in season between June and July.

The flower has a distinctive, sweet scent and is a popular flower used in Germany.

The flower can be used to make a sweet flavoured tea, or it can be added to a bath to help you sleep at night on account of its soothing properties.

Lime trees in Lewisham are quite prominent, which is believed to date back to Victorian times, and can be found in a number of green spots.

Nettles

Nettles are rich in iron, on account of their deep roots that absorb minerals from the earth.

Traditionally they have been used for people with anaemia and can be used in cooking to make a soup.

Nettles also have antihistamines, which can work to combat things like stings, and can be made into salves and balms.

The leaves of a nettle are teardrops in shape, growing up to 1m tall in opposing pairs up its stem. They are best harvested when they are young and should always be picked wearing thick gloves to avoid stinging.

Three Cornered Leak

The three cornered leak is a common plant notable by its long, thin leaves, white flowers and angled stems that have three corners.

It can be distinguished by its smell, which has an oniony scent due to its relation to the onion family.

The plant can be used to make soups, adds a garlic flavour to cooking and has antimicrobial properties.

Elderflowers

Elderflowers are a great way to spice up your drinks or to enjoy in the bath, on account of their delicate scent and sweet taste.

Elderflowers grow from the elder tree, and are common in woodlands and hedgerows. They usually flower from late May, and can be recognised by their small, white flowers which turn into elderberries in the late summer.

Elderflowers are common in country parks and can be used to make a cordial. When mixed with sparkling water, Fawz likens them to drinking a non-alcoholic version of Prosecco.

In the late summer these flowers become elderberries, which take on a light purple shade. They can be used to make an elderberry syrup, which can be used as a remedy for coughs and colds in the winter months.

Roses

Roses can be used in a number of ways, depending on what time of year you harvest them, according to Fawz.

If harvested in their early stages, the petals can be used to make a calming oil that is often used in aromatherapy.

Or if they are harvested when they turn into rose hips, usually towards the early part of Autumn, they can be used to make rose hip oil, which is rich in Vitamin C and was widely endorsed during the harsh rationing of World War II.