·       Use a sharp knife, pruners, or scissors to cut the top third of the plant. Remove any leaves that are in poor condition or have been eaten by insects.

·       For cleaning, I like to put the plant material I’ve collected in a basin of cool water for 10 minutes to let any debris fall to the bottom then I take them out and give them a gentle shake to remove excess water before drying.

·       To dry herbs, tie them in small bundles and hang in a well-ventilated area, or remove the leaves or petals from the stems, and lay them in a single layer on screens or towels to dry. A plant with long stems like nettle or yarrow can be easily hung upside down. A salad spinner also works well for drying small leaves or plants like cleavers but I wouldn’t recommend it for anything delicate like flower heads or petals.

·       For flowers - pick flowers early in the day during dry weather, after dew has evaporated. Smaller flowers can be dried whole and larger ones, like roses, should be separated into just the petals. I would hang elderflowers and meadowsweet upside down to dry. Like herbs, you will know that your flowers are dry when they crumble, and the stems break when bent.

·       For fruits and berries – these should be harvested when they are ripe but still firm. Unripe fruit will be tough and not tasty, and overripe fruit can be soft and mushy. Wash your fruit or berries in the same way as described for leaves and flowers, and remove any that are bruised or decayed.

·       Depending on the thickness of the leaves, they can take anywhere from several hours to several days to dry. You will know that the herbs or flowers are dry when they crumble, and stems break when bent.

·       Once the plant material is thoroughly dry, you can store it in airtight containers. I love glass jars but zip-lock bags also work well. Clearly label the container with the name of the plant, and the date it was dried and put in the container. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the container for around a day to be sure there are no signs of condensation, i.e. that there is no moisture forming in the container. Once this is clear it is safe to put the container away in a cool, dry, dark area. Properly dried herbs will store well for at least a year.