Gorse - Ulex spp - also known as Furze or Whin, is a tough, spiny shrub found on heaths, roadsides and waste places.

The bright yellow flowers are mostly produced in early spring, but it's nearly always possible to find a few at any time of the year - even in the depths of winter.

On the bush, they have a smell reminiscent of coconut or ground almonds. When you gather a bunch of them together in a container, a number of more complex, fruity aromas are noticeable.

They're supposedly edible in salads - but I've tried them before and I was quite disappointed - they just taste bitter and uninteresting. So I decided to try using them to make a tisane.

I picked about half a pint of flowers (at the expense of a few painful jabs from the wicked thorns).

After leaving the flowers open on the plate for a few minutes (to let a few small insects escape), I steeped them in boiling water, covered with a lid, for five minutes.

I strained off the liquid and added a little lemon juice and a half teaspoon of sugar. (The lemon juice changed the colour from deep, vivid yellow to the paler shade in the photo below)

The resulting drink is good - slightly astringent, it has a fresh, fruity (almost melon-like) flavour, with a spicy resinous backnote, and a complex herbal aroma all of its own, which is difficult to describe or compare to anything.

It's great as a hot beverage, but it would also work well chilled and served with ice and a sprig of mint, I think