Planting Edmonds: From garden to garnish

Planting Edmonds is a monthly column written by and for local gardeners.

For as long as I can remember, I have been wandering through gardens. My earliest memories are of my mother’s and grandmother’s gardens. Walking through the tall patch of Shasta daisies, their blooms above my head, like a secret floral forest. I suppose my love of gardening began there, with the thrill of discovering earthworms under rocks and that unmistakable scent of good soil (gardeners, you know the one).

Years later, as an adult, I enrolled in a class to deepen my knowledge of herbs and garden plants. One day, we were invited to gather ingredients for a fresh garden salad straight from the beds we had been studying. When our instructor suggested adding flowers to the salad, something shifted in me. Until that moment, I had unconsciously kept flowers in a different category of beauty to behold, not something to nourish.

That small suggestion opened a whole new world. Suddenly, the garden was not just a feast for the eyes, it was a literal feast. We harvested tender young lettuce, fennel fronds, sorrel, artemisia, and chive blossoms, then adorned the salad with vibrant violas, white and blue borage flowers and calendula petals. Too pretty to eat? Almost. But the charm they brought to the table was undeniable.

Tossed with a simple herbal vinegar and oil, the salad felt like a celebration of the plant’s journey from leaf to blossom. It was more than a meal; it was a quiet reminder of the interconnectedness of beauty and nourishment.

Flower infusions and fresh tisanes are also an enjoyable way to use what is growing in the garden. I have shared instructions on my website for making honey infused with rose petals.

Each June, my roses put on their first flush, and if I have managed to keep the aphids and mildew at bay, there can be an abundant number of roses. I like to bring cut blooms indoors to enjoy them longer, but one year I tried something different by infusing honey with petals from my most fragrant red roses. The result was a subtly flavored floral honey that paired beautifully with tea, warm biscuits or a bowl of yogurt.

Another wonderful way to use flowers and herbs is by making infused oils. Lavender, for example, creates fragrant subtle oil after steeping for two to six weeks. The scent is soft and soothing and much gentler than lavender essential oil, which can be quite strong and is not always ideal for direct use on skin in its pure form.

Infused oils are simple to make. Start with a clean, dry jar and fill it about three-quarters full of fresh lavender. Be sure the lavender is dry and free of insects. Do not pack it too tightly; the oil needs space to circulate and saturate the plant material.

Then pour your oil of choice — almond, jojoba or olive oil all work well — over the lavender until the jar is nearly full. Let it sit for two to six weeks. Strain the flowers out and you will have a beautiful oil. Calendula also makes an excellent infused oil with wonderful benefits for the skin.

A tisane is like tea but instead of tea leaves traditionally used from the Camellia Sinensis plant, you can use other herbs, spices and plants. If you keep a patch of herbs in your yard (which I would encourage anyone to do), some great plants you can use are chamomile and fresh mint. You simply get a steeping device (ball or filter) and fill it with fresh plant materials and infuse it with hot water and let it steep. It is a wonderful way to enjoy the herbs in your yard.

Many flowers have been used in teas over the years so you could use a variety of items to make a nice tea for yourself and flavored to suit you and of course provide that sense of gratification that comes from growing and using things from your yard.

Chefs have long known the power of floral garnish. Many of us are delighted with the surprise of an edible bloom gracing a carefully plated dish. But you do not need a restaurant kitchen to enjoy this. With just a small herb patch or a few pots on the patio, edible flowers can be at your fingertips, ready to transform an ordinary meal into something unexpectedly joyful. Pictured below I made eggs benedict for my family over the weekend and added a little pop of color with some violas along with some fresh chives.

In some places, like Italy, the flower becomes the meal. Have you ever tried fried squash blossoms? Filled with soft cheese, dipped in batter and fried, they become their own course. I have included a photo from one of my trips as well as a vine that better watch out before its bloom becomes an appetizer!

To summarize, find the bit of blooming joy from your garden and do not be afraid to garnish, consume, create, scent and enjoy these beautiful summer flowers. They capture a moment and a miracle and connect us to the natural world. It is always best to make sure your edible flowers are grown safely and pesticide free. A list of my favorite edible blooms are nasturtiums, violas and pansies, calendula, borage, lavender, rose petals, chamomile, fennel and basil blooms.

Jill Hall is a painter, gardener and lifelong creative based in Shoreline, Washington. Originally from Colorado, she studied fine art at the University of Montana in Missoula, where she earned her BFA in painting and drawing. Her work is inspired by the natural world, a love of travel, and the quiet beauty of everyday life. When she’s not in the studio, Jill can be found digging in her garden. She is currently pursuing her Master Gardener certification through the WSU Extension program.

Explore her artwork and musings at www.jillhallart.com.