Category Archives: 365 Frankendael

365 Frankendael day 208

November 14, 2012365 FrankendaelLynn

A really beautiful autumn day today. I’ve been finding lots of young Garlic mustard plants around here. Their first leaves are kidney shaped, not completely unlike violets or the family which Fuki belongs to. The vein structure makes them easy to identify though.

Here is none of the above and one which i keep looking at and considering toxic. It is a type of campanula and very pretty too. I’ve just been looking up the family of ornamental plants and apparently many members are edible and quite tasty. Here’s a link about them. I want to find out a lot more before trying a leaf or two.

Here’s a toxic plant that has come up before on this blog, it’s everywhere in town at present, probably encouraged to thrive by it’s beguiling flowers and seedheads. This is nightshade family member, Shoofly or Apple of Peru, Nicandra physalodes.

365 Frankendael day 207

November 13, 2012365 Frankendaelcalendula, Chickweed, copper beech, ground ivy, Hogweed, Malva, NasturtiumLynn

Today a damp walk around and lots of edibles still easily harvested in Amsterdam.

The first is a treepit loaded with Nasturtium and Calendula.

Next, a healthy looking patch of Stinging Nettle, beside the park.

A bonsai style Hogweed (most likely the non-edible type). It looks as though this one was determined to proliferate, despite repeated mowings in Park Frankendael.

Here’s a little Chickweed, growing under the playground railings.

Malva, nestled beside a landscaping rock, alongside Restaurant de Kas.

Ground ivy, beside another such rock.

And lastly, one of the most plentiful wild food trees in town, Copper Beech, definitely not looking tasty at the moment – well past it’s best. I’ll have to wait until spring to harvest the delicate new leaf buds, again. But there are plenty other tasty things available, all through the winter.

365 Frankendael day 206

November 12, 2012365 Frankendael, ApprenticeshipApprenticeship course, Chickweed, Gallant soldiersLynn

I had a lovely time with the Apprentice group this morning. We went out hunting for Chickweed and found some along with plenty of delicious Gallant Soldiers (Galinsoga parviflora) This pavement garden patch looked particularly vibrant and suited to a Colombian potato soup!

After the group had left I had another little wander around my neighbourhood and found the biggest patch of Chickweed (NL: Vogelmuur, Stellaria media), just 100m from my home. Here is a fraction of it. I feel a nourishing and skin calming Chickweed vinegar in the making…

365 Frankendael day 205

November 11, 2012365 FrankendaelRosa, Rose hipsLynn

Some beautiful Rose hips from the plantsoen opposite our local cemetery. They are still in great shape for scooping out the itchy seeds and making into a spring honey or syrup. Remember to leave plenty for the birds through the winter.

365 Frankendael day 204

November 10, 2012365 Frankendael, Evergreen herbsRosemaryLynn

Been preparing for Monday’s apprenticeship meeting and almost forgot to write today’s post…

Here’s a delicious and stimulating Rosemary (Rosemary officinalis) bush which resides beneath my apartment in a bone dry geveltuin. One of the most well known culinary herbs, Rosemary is also very medicinal. It makes an easy herb oil, useful for rubbing on sore muscles or congested chests. It is known as a remedy for indigestion, some scalp ailments and when you brush past the plant it’s obvious that it can clear the sinuses and enliven the senses. Here’s a useful link to lots of information about Rosemary, including it’s drug interactions.

Now is the time to seek out healthy evergreen urban herbs, in readiness for the coldest months when foragers need to

365 Frankendael day 203

November 9, 2012365 FrankendaelRose, rueLynn

Today a couple of useful pavement garden herbs:

Firstly, Rue (Ruta graveolens), useful in tiny amounts to help break down heavy meals, when cooked along with the food and a renowned witches herb (especially the Italian witches who favour jewellery, shaped like Rue leaves). Rue has many uses, due mainly to the volatile oils it produces. It should be treated with respect, both when handling the plant and when considering eating it. It is a very potent herb.

Next up today is Rose (Rosa sp.). A you can see, some Rose shrubs are still in bloom in Amsterdam. That means a few fresh petals can still be found to throw into ginger, cardamon and rose petal honey. Yum! Only select unsprayed roses from healthy plants, growing in clean spots.

365 Frankendael day 202

November 8, 2012365 FrankendaelElderLynn

Today has not quite gone to plan so little time to forage. As I passed by Park Frankendael at lunchtime, this little Elder (Sambucus nigra) caught my eye. Her leaves are starting to fall and leaf buds for next spring are already in place. She is the pale one in the middle of the photo.

Elder haa quite a characteristic colour as their leaves shed, as if they have been blanched by the sun. There is still time to gather a few deep green Elder leaves for useful ointment recipes. My favorite remains a combination of Elder, Ground ivy, Plantain and Ground elder, gently infused in ghee or lard until the leaves begin to crisp and then strained.

365 Frankendael day 201

November 7, 2012365 Frankendael, Poisonous herbsFools parsley, stinging nettleLynn

Here are two interesting plants; Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), edible, nutritious and a useful tonic for the body. The other feathery looking foliage belongs to Fools Parsley which could give you quite an uncomfortable digestive system if you were to eat it, perhaps mistaking it for something such a Sweet Cicely. On an Urban Herbology walk last year, I was told about a group of young Amsterdam children who had a lovely woodland walk with a guide and foraged their dinner. Unfortunately they harvested and ate Fools Parsley, mistaking it for Wild Carrot. They all ended up in the local hospital’s casualty department with dreadful stomach pains and more. Apparently all was well in the end but I’m sure they wouldn’t have wanted that.

There are so many noxious close relatives of Fools Parsley (such as Poison Hemlock, Conium maculatum) that it’s just not worth foraging anything that resembles it – unless you REALLY know what you are doing.

365 Frankendael day 200

November 6, 2012365 FrankendaelDandelionLynn

200 days and counting of photographing urban edible and medicinal plants, growing in the Park Frankendael area of Amsterdam.

Today a twilight photo of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis). All parts are edible, bitter and useful – if thoroughly clean of course. After all the beautiful and surprising plants I’ve found during this journey, I’m still stopped in my tracks by a hearty Dandelion!

365 Frankendael day 199

November 5, 2012365 FrankendaelEuonymus, Garlic mustard, Marsh MallowLynn

We took a walk in between the rain showers today and saw the Urban Outsiders exhibition being packed away. Hard to focus on much other than Ginkgo nuts at present (dreaming of them being swept away by the road cleaners before we can get to them!) But here are a few other plants from the park…

Lovely delicate yet wooly Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) still flowering here and there but mainly gone to seed. Such a useful soothing plant.

Thanks Dana for posting a lovely photo of this plant on Facebook recently. I didn’t know it so got hunting and found it is called Euonymus and is not edible.

It is pretty enough for restaurant Merkelbach to use in their table decorations today though. A nice escape from the rain – again!

Here is a taste of one of the best things to come in spring – Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). Oh what a wonderful herb! I’m holding back from foraging any as the moment as these plants really need to build strength to get through the winter and then hopefully they will really flourish next year.