Gorse

Gorse (Ulex) can be found in flower at all times of the year due to the wide range of species in the thorny evergreen shrubs family. That said, this time of the year they come into their own as their flowers blaze across heathland, forest and headlands. As the weather warms so their coconuty scent fills the air. For all their thorniness they're quite a useful shrub: the flowers can be eaten, used in salads, added to herbal teas and used to flavour wine; gorse burns well and was used to fire bread ovens; the wood is durable and has been used to make forks and spoons. For years when we used to make flower wines, Gorse flower wine was a favourite. This time every year we'd make our way over the ridge above Kimmeridge where we'd collect huge quantities of gorse flowers. Small and fiddly, well protected by long and incredibly sharp thorns, no matter how careful you were your fingers would became painful pin cushions by the end of the forage. The wine was always worthwhile though, a fine flower wine; I must make some again.