A Delicious Bunch, by Linda Brennan
Growing and Cooking with Edible Flowers
We’d been asked once before if we were going to grow edible flowers…but trying to get all the vegetables going was enough work without adding another job to the list.
Then last holidays at the conference, I was chatting with an organic edible flower farmer from the Brisbane region. She thought we should grow them too. “It’s so easy” she assured me. Hmmm…
The idea still wasn’t that appealing, until recently when for my birthday, my sister gave me A Delicious Bunch, by Linda Brennan. Linda gives some basic info on how and why to grow organic edible flowers (with gorgeous photography!)…and then the bulk of the book is dedicated to showcasing some of her favourite edible flowers, how to grow them, and a recipe to try. I’ll also add that many of the recipes are plant based and gluten free. And they look worth making…you know how sometimes you get these books and think ‘who would actually make that?’ This is different, the recipes look amazing and worth trying.
After reading the book, I was sold on the idea. Rick and I discussed where we would plant this flower garden, and settled on the front corner of our property. This will also serve as an easy way to find our place if you’re coming to pick up veg for the first time “just look for the riot of colour!” So that plot is being solarised right now (non-toxic way of killing the grass before preparing the soil).
Just remember, if you’re wanting to try some edible flowers, make sure they were grown organically. Roses are a great example…from your own garden where you hopefully haven’t used any toxic sprays, then yes you can eat them. But don’t go nibbling on roses from a florist/shop. They have been treated with various nasties to repel the pests, and are not safe to eat.