Foraging FUN!

It's free, rewarding and good for you! Look out for these tasty treats among the hedgerows this autumn

- CHRISTINE IVERSON

Gathering food from nature is a great way of getting delicious, nutritious food for free. Being outdoors has lots of benefits for your health, and learning to identify wild plants is rewarding.

You can go and forage in hedgerows almost anywhere, from your local park or woodland to roadsides. There’s only one rule: always be 100% certain of what you’re picking! An expert guide is a must, so check out relevant apps, or take The Hedgerow Apothecary Forager’s Handbook (£10.99, Summersdale) with you. Here are a few of nature’s delights to look out for around the UK at this time of year.

Horsetail contains a mineral that helps keep skin supple and joints and bones strong. Soak your fingernails in a horsetail infusion to help strengthen brittle nails.