Will you be adding some new flowering plants to your garden this spring? If you like to cook with what you grow, consider planting some that do double duty by providing attractive flowers that are also edible.

Edible flowers can be found in many backyard landscapes and herb gardens. Many annuals and perennials produce flowers with culinary potential. Roses (rosa spp.), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and apple blossoms are well-known perennials with edible flowers. Borage (Borago officinalis), calendula (Calendula officinalis), garden sage (Salvia officinalis), scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus), and pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) are perhaps the best-known annuals that can be used in this way.

Before eating any flowers make sure you have properly identified them as being edible. Since many plants have similar names, always use the scientific name when choosing a flower for an edible purpose. If you are not sure, do not eat them, because many flowers are poisonous or toxic. You should also be certain that the flower is free of pesticides and herbicides. For a detailed list of edible flowers, consult the following website: Edible Flowers - 7.237

Edible flowers have been used in cooking for thousands of years. During the Victorian era candied flowers were used in salads, sweets and pastries. Rose water and orange flower water are still being used daily in Middle Eastern and South Asian homes

We often use edible flowers today without even thinking about it: saffron strands are the dried stamens of crocuses (Carthamus tincorius), lavender is the secret to Herbs de Provence and the flowers of the hops plant are crucial to the production of many kinds of beer.

Take a walk through your backyard garden to inventory what you might be able to use in the kitchen.  If you are lacking appropriate flowers, spring is a good time to plant annual flower seeds to create an edible flower garden.

Flower seeds are widely available online or in your local nursery. They are easy to start by scattering them into the landscape or starting them early in small pots indoors near a sunny window. Follow the directions on the seed packet. For a sunny spot in your garden you might opt for calendula, borage, sage, pansies or squash/pumpkin blossoms (Cucurbita spp.). Nasturtium (Tropseolum majus) is a shade-loving plant that needs room to wander.

If you have space for a few perennials, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) work well for our region and are very drought tolerant and deer resistant.

When your edible flowers bloom, the best time to harvest them is in the morning after the dew has dried. Rinse them in cold water and allow them to air dry. They will need to be used right away or stored for a short time in the refrigerator. Many of the flowers can be used whole. If the flowers are large, like sunflowers, you may need to remove the petals, which is the part of the flower that you will use.

Some flowers have a hint of flavor, so you may want to taste them before adding them to a dish to make sure they are appropriate and gauge the amount to use. Nasturtium has a slight peppery taste. Calendula has a saffron flavor. Sage flowers are both sweet and savory. Borage has a slight cucumber flavor. Some flowers (like orange blossoms) can be bitter.

Using Edible Flowers

You can add flower petals or whole flowers like nasturtium, borage, or pansies to a salad of spring greens, or use them as a garnish.

Flower butters are an easy way to incorporate flowers into a meal. Add chopped flower petals to softened butter, then refrigerate before using on sweet or savory dishes. Butter mixed with chive blossoms or sage blossoms is good on top of vegetables, fish or grilled chicken. Rose petal butter can be a nice addition to pancakes or biscuits.

Hibiscus flowers (Hibiscus syriacus) can be used to make a refreshing iced tea. Add rosemary or lavender to lemonade for an interesting summer beverage. You can also infuse ice water with the flowers of herbs like mint (mentha spp.), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), tulsi basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), or thyme (Thymus spp.) for a subtle flavor, or freeze those flowers with water in ice cube trays to make a pretty addition to summer drinks.

Making candied flowers is an easy way to decorate cookies and cakes. Beat an egg white and use a small brush to paint the petals of the flowers you are using. Pansies work well for this. Once the flower is coated with the egg wash, sprinkle very fine granulated sugar over the flower. Let air dry for a couple of days before using to top a dessert.

Lavender flowers and rose petals can be used to infuse sugar. Chop dried lavender flowers or dried rose petals and place them in a small container of granulated sugar. Let the mixture sit for two to three weeks. You can either strain out the flowers or leave them in. The flavored sugar is beautiful sprinkled over freshly baked sugar cookies or sweet breads.

The possibilities are endless: there are many books on this subject and plenty of recipes available online to help you incorporate edible flowers into everyday meals. Consider how festive and colorful your meals might be with the addition of some beautiful flowers straight from the garden.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

It's not uncommon for a garden to seem a bit bare from late fall through early spring, when very little is in bloom. Luckily, hardy cyclamen and hellebores can help fill this gap by providing color from flowers while adding interest from leaf shapes and patterns as well.

Hardy Cyclamen

Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum are smalller, garden-adapted relatives of the florist's cyclamen (C. persicum). They are both native to Mediterranean regions, and are the easiest species of cyclamen to grow in the home garden.  Both species are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and do best in well-drained soil rich in humus, and located in areas of dappled (not heavy) shade among trees and shrubs.  They are moderately drought-tolerant, very long-lived, and thrive with very little care.

To grow cyclamen, plant tubers in early fall, about one inch deep, and six inches apart. Low mounds are their ideal habitat. The tubers do not multiply, but plants will self-sow, forming colonies. In summer the plants go dormant and need a little moisture to keep roots from dying back. Watering in late summer and early fall breaks dormancy and encourages new growth.

Cyclamen hederifolium is the hardiest, most robust and easiest species to grow. It self-seeds and will naturalize. It is tolerant of all average garden soils, and can also grow in areas with more sun. Deep to light pink fragrant blossoms on stems 4 to 6 inches in height appear from late August through November, just before leaves develop. In cultivation, white blossoms develop on some plants. As flowers fade and seeds form, the spent stems spiral earthward and indicate the origin of their name, as cycla is the Greek word for circle.

Foliage lasts until late spring and in a colony creates an almost evergreen ground cover. Leaf shapes vary from heart-shaped to spear-like. Leaves may be marbled green with a symmetrical darker green or silver fractal pattern. The tubers are long-lived, can grow to the size of a small dinner plate, and should produce a profusion of blooms.

Cyclamen coum produces leaves in October followed by flowers from January to March. It resembles C. hederifolium in habit and reproduction. C. coum can be crowded out by C. hederifolium, so it is best not to plant them near one another.

Watch for pests: root weevil, aphids, slugs, snails, mice and squirrels can do occasional damage to cyclamen.

Hellebores

The most common hellebores (Lenten roses) are the Oriental hybrids (Helleborus x hybridus). They are long-blooming (starting in February), low-maintenance, evergreen perennials which originated in Mediterranean regions. Leaves rise from underground stems (rhizomes), and form clumps that can reach two feet wide by one foot high. Flowering stalks are 12-18 inches high; a single hellebore clump may bear as many as 50 flowers. Although they will tolerate dry shade and sun, partial shade is best. Do not locate in wet spots or alkaline (high pH) soils. Plant them with their crowns just covered by soil. They appreciate organic matter. Remove dying foliage in January before buds emerge. Plant growth slows during the summer.

Helleborus niger is called the Christmas rose, and blooms earlier -- late December or early January.

Hellebore colors range from white to purple, with many color patterns on the petals (which are actually bracts or calyxes). White flowers tend to turn green with age, while the purples hold their colors. Flowers may persist for 3 months.

Hellebores rapidly self-sow. Seedlings are not true to parental type, but can be transplanted to rapidly populate a garden. If you buy a variety of plants, their seedlings will produce a spectrum of flowers to choose from. Plants will flower in one to three years. Although division isn't necessary, it is the best method to ensure an exact duplicate of a particular plant. Ideally, divide in fall or winter, although it is also possible to divide around flowering time. Clumps can be lifted, divided and reset by pulling the crowns apart, or divided while in the ground using a sharp knife or shovel. Avoid dividing into small single divisions, because they will rarely survive.

Hellebores contain alkaloid toxins and have been used both as a poison and a purgative. They are pest-free and deer resistant.

For a long span of color from winter through spring, plant hellebores along with daffodils and hardy cyclamen.

For more information on cyclamen and hellebores, see:

http://www.grahamrice.com/hellebore/propagation/index.html

Plant Hellebores for Winter and Spring Color!

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

Just because it is wintertime doesn't mean that bees, which are important pollinators for our flowers, fruits and vegetables, don't need food.  Plants and shrubs can provide pollen, nectar, or both to bees in our late winter and early spring. 

Honey bees will be brought to Northern California from all across the US to begin pollinating the almond crop by mid-February.  Although almonds don't have a lot of nectar, they do have a lot of pollen, which allows the bees to build up the strength of their colonies after the arduous journey of travelling across the country.

Honey bees can forage as far away as three to five miles from their colony when conditions are favorable for flight, although most foragers tend to stay within a few hundred yards of the colony if it is near adequate food rewards (nectar and pollen).  Honey bees will venture out from their hives when temperatures reach the mid-50s Fahrenheit; they won't travel far, but they will search for sources of pollen and nectar nearby. 

Because honey bee queens are constantly laying eggs and raising their young, these bees need food year-round.  Honey bees forage when temperatures are 55 degrees and higher; they do not forage in rain or in wind stronger than 12 miles per hour.  Cloudiness also reduces flight activity, especially near threshold temperatures.  A honey bee normally flies at a speed of 18 miles per hour empty and 15 miles per hour carrying of load of pollen or nectar.  However, if they are agitated and empty, honey bees can fly about 20 miles per hour.  They cannot carry a load upwind against much more than a 15 mile-per-hour wind.

Native bees, like bumble bees and mason bees, are solitary and do not live together in hives like honeybees do.  Solitary native bees were here long before the arrival of honey bees, which were introduced from Europe in the early 17^th century.  Native bees lay their eggs throughout the summer and fall and their pupae (young) develop in seclusion during the colder months.  They need daytime temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees before they emerge as adults, so they will not begin pollinating until early April, or when daytime temperatures rise.  While native bees do not play a significant role in almond pollination, they are critical in pollinating many of our summer fruits, vegetables and flowers. 

Different species of pollinators are attracted to different types of flowers (generally those that suit their tongue length), but nearly all types of bees show interest in blue, yellow and ultraviolet hues. 

Some guidelines for bee-friendly garden plantings include the following:

• Natural species (rather than hybrids) produce nectar and pollen that is more accessible for bees 
• Native flowers can attract solitary bees (like mason bees)
• Grow a variety of species from different plant families
• Try to have something flowering throughout the season
• Plant several of one type of plant together – they will provide a better magnet for the bees

You can help bees out by planting mustards or clover as a cover crop – yellow mustard is one of the earliest blooming flowers that are attractive to honey bees.  Native plants and shrubs that are attractive to bees include the California wildflower “Baby Blue Eyes,” and California Desert Bluebells, both of which are annuals; and California Dutchman's Pipe, an attractive deciduous vine festooned with cream-colored flowers that have red-purple veins.

Non-native plants that are bee-friendly in our area include flowering quince, which is often the first noticeable flowering shrub of the year; the popular evergreen camellia japonica, some varieties of which bloom as early as November; and witch hazel (hamamelis), a yellow-flowering shrub with a distinctive fragrance and intriguing blossoms.

Crocus and hyacinth bulbs are also attractive to bees.  These should be planted in November or December after spending 10 weeks chilling in a refrigerator ahead of time (as our climate is too mild to provide them the requisite chill hours) – and, like tulips, these are best treated as annuals in our climate

When doing your winter garden clean-up, keep the bees in mind:  leave some “wild,” messy areas in your yard for bees.  For example, old fence posts, dead logs, and decaying sunflower heads all provide native bees with places to hide, nest, and raise their next generation.

Keep other pollinators in mind, too:  for instance, instead of using a hummingbird feeder which you might only sporadically keep filled, provide natural nectar at this time of year by planting camellias, flowering quince and flowering currant.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.

Winter is a great time to take stock of the garden.  Are there aging plants that need replacing?  Do you have an open area for a large, attractive shrub?  Are you thinking about planting a hedge to provide privacy or screen out a less-than-desirable view?  Would you like to have flowers to bring indoors for floral arrangements in the spring?  If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, you should think about planting one or more species of Viburnum. 

The genus Viburnum comprises over 150 evergreen and deciduous shrubs and small trees, many of which do very well in our Butte County environment.  In addition to providing structure and interest to the home garden, many viburnums are drought tolerant and often provide fruits for birds to feed on.  Some species produce highly fragrant flowers.  And deciduous viburnum species can add lovely fall color to the garden before their leaves drop.

The following are just a few of the Viburnum species that do particularly well in our area.

Viburnum tinus (Laurustinus).  This evergreen shrub is fast-growing in full sun or partial shade and creates a dense hedge of leathery oval, dark green, two-to-three-inch-long leaves.  Allegedly only growing to 12 feet, examples have been spotted in Chico that easily reach 15 ft. or more.  In early spring, tiny pink buds open up to clusters of white flowers that are long-lasting and fragrant; when the flowers finally drop, they are followed by equally long-lasting clusters of blue/black fruits that are loved by birds and may hang on until summer.  V.tinus can be kept tidy by pruning, but if the possibility of a 15-foot hedge alarms you, dwarf and compact varieties are available.

Viburnum carlesii (Korean Spice Viburnum).  This is a Viburnum for real lovers of scent in the garden.  It has a looser growing habit than V.tinus, is considerably shorter, reaching 6 to 8 feet, and is deciduous.  Its springtime blooms are similar to those of V.tinus, with the exception of being more powerfully scented, a lovely surprise in the springtime garden.  V.carlesii is also a little more delicate, preferring part shade in our summer heat.

Viburnum davidii.  For a lower-growing shrub that provides nice structure in front of taller plants, V.davidii is a good choice.  It is evergreen, with large oval leaves of up to six inches.  It prefers partial shade, and, if happy, can produce clusters of brilliantly-colored metallic blue fruit.

Viburnum opulus ‘Sterile' (Common Snowball).  Deciduous in colder climates, V.opulous is nearly evergreen here.  A taller Viburnum, it can reach up to 15 feet, but is easily kept in bounds.  Its leaves are lighter green and maple-shaped.  In spring it has snowball-like flower clusters about two-and-a-half inches across, which start out lime green and turn to white.  The flowering stems make a spectacular display as cut flowers indoors.  This Viburnum bears no fruit.

Viburnum plicatum tomentosum (Doublefile Viburnum).  This is perhaps saving the best for last, as the Doublefile may be the most stunning viburnum in the landscape.  It is deciduous, but that is all the better for displaying its beautiful tiered growth habit – the branches move outwards in a series of almost parallel horizontal layers, clearly evident as soon as the new shoots begin to appear in spring.  In late spring and early summer, white lacecap flowerheads two-to-four inches across line the upper sides of the branches.  The flowers eventually give way to red fruits which turn to black.  In the fall the leaves turn a pale shade of red, accented by brighter or pinker tones. 

These are just a few of the interesting shrubs in the hard-working viburnum genus.  If you have space for a new shrub, think about adding a viburnum to your garden.

If there's a local gardener on your gift list this holiday season, why not give them a Butte County Garden Guide and Three-Year Journal?  Compiled and edited by the UC-trained Master Gardeners of Butte County, this county-specific book contains tips for every home gardener. All proceeds from the guide go to the Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch and other Master Gardener community outreach projects in Butte County. The Garden Guide is available in Chico at Magnolia Gift and Garden, The Plant Barn, and the Master Gardener booth at the Saturday Farmers Market. It can also be ordered online on our website.

UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system.  To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website.  If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.