The Forager's Calendar: A Seasonal Guide to Nature’s Wild Harvests

I love this book so much. In fact, you can see from the pictures that I have loved this book almost to death. And I've only had it for one year. It's stained with blackberry juice, elderflower pollen, gin, and whatever else I've found and used to cook/brew with my winnings. It has been scratched all over from rose thorns has been dropped in a few puddles, and now genuinely smells a bit "herby". The format is just perfect - I read a whole chapter at the start of the month and then dip back in for some reminders between and during foraging excursions. I still enjoy each time I re-read the informational content - which is something as I have a brain like a sieve and forget everything rather swiftly. The matter-of-fact yet sometimes mildly silly tone often has me laughing out loud. His observations on gardeners are astutely relateable as my father is a keen gardener and I a keen forager - yes I agree "sometimes I do think that gardeners feel the need to suffer". I will often read bits out to my father that relate to the weeds he is frantically trying to rid his garden of (ground elder being a great extract) and it will make us both laugh. He is also, like most fairly normal humans that are worth knowing, a slight dipsomaniac (and I will be buying his other books about how to brew your own etc). I think this is the best "all-rounder" foraging book and great for somebody who is just getting started. However, as I do not live near the sea, I travel around the UK on a narrowboat foraging the towpath hedgerows, I haven't yet, ahem, digested any of the sea-side delights the book has to offer. As this book has really inspired me to forage more I will be buying the hedgerows and mushrooms River Cottage handbooks. I say get this book in hardback because I do carry this everywhere with me and it shows. I just wouldn't anybody love it to death like I have and regret not getting a hardback copy to last a bit longer.

I have had a few books on foraging before and they often wouldn't leave me confident about going out and getting most of the species in the book. This one is completely the opposite with clear pictures, really good descriptions and always has easy things to check to make sure you have the right plant or mushroom when needed. I've already had a few forays out and have collected a few delicious things and made notes of where to come back to when the time is right. The author conveys a lot of information whilst still keeping things in layman's terms and has a pretty good sense of humour so you will definitely get a chuckle or two reading it. Really impressed with this it's well worth the money.

I bought this because I knew of John Ŵright from the River Cottage Handbook series. It has surpassed all my expectations. The most useful thing is to quickly be able to see what is available at any time of year, and it does that brilliantly. But what I absolutely love is his honest writing style which makes you feel as though you are being advised by a very experienced, knowledgeable and wryly humorous friend.

This is, quite simply, a wonderful book. So many books of this type are frankly quite stodgy and dull. Not so this. The knowledge and expertise of the author shine out, but so do his character and personality. He covers the serious ecological and health aspects of foraging, but his good-humoured guidance had me laughing out loud on several occasions. As a novice I would have welcomed more/clearer ID photographs, but despite this I feel I have a much better knowledge of what to harvest - and more importantly, what not to harvest - as a result of reading this book.

Great book and very knowledgeable

Great little book and cant wait to read it

Bought as a gift

I have had this book for about 3 months and I love it. not only is it informative but also quite funny to the point that I now have started reading it to my mum who is an avid gardener. I will tell her then the name of the plant then she will either tell me she has it in her garden and its the bain of her life lol or she will know it and be interested in finding out what part of the plant is edible. so ill read the description and we will both laugh at his humourous descriptions such as his failed attempt to consume garden snails I have read this book cover to cover and have enjoyed it immensely and in these troubling times its a good idea to have another way to find food

great book

Book arrived damage, it looks second hand

Well written, with a good sense of practicality and humour. As a prepper I found it very usefull. Only one small downside to keep it from five stars, it could use even more photos

Very informative. Certainly useful when needed

Would buy from seller again. Good book. Not fabulous but helpful.