Recently I had the pleasure of sipping a delicious margarita made with hibiscus juice. A tropical plant, hibiscus plants produce large, showy blossoms. Generally grown for ornamental purposes, the flower is also known for its culinary applications, one of which is making a refreshing juice, like the one in my margarita!
Hibiscus are one of many flowers that are edible. Edible flowers can be used to add color, fragrance, flavor, and texture to foods. They can be added to soups and salads raw, used in entreés or desserts, make tea or flavored water, candied, breaded, or fried. They have the benefit of often being healthy while providing few calories.
This is the first part of a two-part article. This article will...
The language of flowers . . . UC Master Gardeners Janice Encinger and Iris Craig have been doing their research! They prepared this for our Valentine's Day newspaper column in the Napa Valley Register, and here it is again, with pictures.
Valentine's Day will soon be here. What do we give our favorite valentine? In American culture, the gifts of choice are often candy (chocolate preferred), cards and flowers. For flowers, of course, a bouquet of red roses symbolizes love.
Since antiquity, flowers have been part of major life events such as births, graduations, weddings, illnesses and death. Throughout...
What do the blue chicory flowers blooming in meadows and vineyards, the pansies in your window box and the honey-scented blossoms on your lemon tree have in common? You can eat them.
A stroll around your winter garden, nearby vineyard or neighborhood might reveal surprising edible flowers to cheer, nourish, flavor and decorate winter plates.
But just because blossoms are pretty does not mean you can eat them. Some flowers are poisonous. Identify any flowers you plan to eat or serve and make sure no sprays or chemicals have been used on them.
By the time you read this, nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) may be gone, but in early December the blossoms in navel-orange,...
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
In the Garden:
- Plant rhubarb, strawberries, and cane berries. Plant seeds for broccoli, cabbage, parsley, turnips, peas, radishes, lettuce, and spinach.
- This is the time to plant bare root roses, trees, artichoke crowns, grapevines, and other vines.
- You can still plant pansies, violas, snapdragons, and fairy primroses.
- Plant gladiolus every 2 weeks for a succession of blooms.
- Later in the month you can divide Shasta daisies, daylilies, chrysanthemums, and other perennials.
NOTE: Beware of digging in soggy soils. All plantings should...
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Pansies aren't bee plants.
But don't tell that to the bees. True, bees are partial to the lavenders, the mints, the salvias, thyme, basil, borage, oregano, sunflowers and the like, but it's winter and their food sources are scarce.
Lately, as the temperatures stretch upward into the 50s for several hours a day, we've been seeing a few bees on our pansies.
The pansy, in some respects, is like the mail carrier...."Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet..." Despite the weather, the pansy manages to thrive. Its colorful, sunny face seems to define its personality.
On Christmas Day, we noticed a few pansies slouching, slumping and sagging.
But the bees didn't seem to mind.
Pansies are...