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, taxi-yellow and vermillion blossoms are still flourishing at the edges of my garden. The honey-tinged heat and color of nasturtium blossoms provide contrast in citrus salads and in salads with deep-green arugula or miners' lettuce. Both the petals and the leaves have a peppery flavor, making a milder garnish for guests who don't like spice.

 

Calendulas (Calendula officinalis) look like bright, full daisies in a palette of pale yellow, apricot and bright orange. They grow through most of our Napa Valley winters. Calendula is an annual and generously self-sows every year, so leave a flower or two to go to seed.  After the first rains, expanding circles of little calendula seedlings are already greening up the areas in my garden where calendulas grew last year. In a few months, their neon-orange flowers will be the first to bloom in profusion as winter turns to spring.

 

Calendula petals may be sprinkled in salads, ice cream, soups or risotto. If you have several plants to choose from, taste to see which you prefer.  

 

All members of the viola family are edible and bloom bravely through all but the iciest weather. Fresh-faced pansies, fragrant violets (Violata odorata) and blue and yellow Johnny-jump-ups don't just provide vivid color for garden beds and pots. They also contribute blossoms for confetti-colored butter logs to melt on biscuits. Or arrange them in two-dimensional bouquets to decorate special desserts.

 

With blue or white star-shaped blossoms, borage (Borago officinalis) can grow in shady spots. Its cucumber-flavored blossoms can be frozen in ice cubes or used to garnish salads or sorbet.

 

Herb blossoms are all edible, so consider using the delicate white flowers on lemon verbena and perky chives as well as peach, pear, plum and almond blossoms.

 

Always check to make sure flowers are edible. While you might think fragrant sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) blossoms should be edible, they are not. This kind of sweet pea is poisonous and should be eaten with your eyes only.

 

On the other hand, sugar snap peas, shelling peasand other edible peas have blossoms and shoots that can be safely consumed. Eating pea blossoms is for those who spurn delayed gratification and live for the moment, or for those who do not like to eat their peas. On the other hand, gardeners who hope to ultimately harvest peas will have to forgo all but the first blossoms.

 

Citrus blossoms are edible, but taste them to make sure you like the flavor. Some are bitter. As a general rule, the sweeter the fragrance, the sweeter the flavor. Use blossoms to infuse cream for ice cream or whipped cream or use to scent lemonade.

 

All types of dianthus are edible, including ‘Sweet William' blossoms, carnations and pinks. Ranging in color from pure white to almost black, dianthus blossoms give artistic cooks many beautiful colors to choose from. Taste the flowers and remove the bottom white part of the petal if it seems bitter. Steep in syrups or mix into butters. Frost cakes, then lay a stencil over the cake and sprinkle shredded flower petals to fill the outline.  

 

Edible flowers can expand your kitchen choices. Check this site https://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm  for a list of edible flowers. Tulips, begonias,chrysanthemums and gladiolas can make surprising contributions your meals. Learn which flowers are safe to eat and teach your children well.

 

Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Rose Pruning” on Saturday, January 7, from 10 a.m. to noon, at University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Certified rosarian Lynne Andresen and other Master Gardener rose enthusiasts will demonstrate and explain proper pruning techniques and review rose types, common rose disorders and routine maintenance. Online registration (credit card only); Mail-in registration (check only or drop off cash payment).

 

Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.

 

Some people may think of daylilies as ordinary garden plants without any special characteristics. Yet no other plant has blossoms that compare to the daylily in variety of color, form and size.

 

In addition, daylilies (Hemerocallis) are edible and nutritious. Their buds and blossoms have almost as much protein as spinach, more vitamin A than green beans and about as much vitamin C as orange juice.

 

Daylily colors include multiple shades of yellow, orange, red, wine, purple and peach. There are no pure white blooms, but there are near whites, such as ‘Ice Carnival,' a very pale yellow.

 

On some daylilies, all the flower segments are a single color; others are polychromes, with different flower parts in different colors. On some blooms, the edges are lighter or darker than the rest of the petal and may be ruffled. Some have a pronounced eye, with a darker or lighter area just above the throat of the bloom.

 

Daylilies also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The normal daylily has three petals and three sepals. Double daylilies have up to six extra petals above or below the normal petals. There are circular and triangular daylilies. Some are spider-shaped with long, narrow petals; others have petals that curve and twist. Sizes range from miniatures with blooms under three inches to those with flowers that measure seven inches across or more.

 

In northern California, daylilies flower from late spring to fall. They bloom more prolifically in full sun, but they will still bloom in partial shade. Some varieties are early-season bloomers; others flower later. Some are repeat bloomers, flowering more than once during the season. Iin my garden, repeat bloomers include ‘Pardon Me' and ‘Panache.'

 

Although each flower lasts for only one day, many varieties produce multiple buds on each stem, or scape. Some are extended bloomers, with individual blossoms remaining open for 16 hours or more. My favorite extended bloomers are ‘Strawberry Candy' and ‘Custard Candy.' Most daylilies bloom during the day, but some are nocturnal, opening late in the afternoon and staying open through the next morning.

You can increase daylilies easily by dividing the clumps. First cut back the leaves to about eight inches in length. Dig up the whole clump and shake off the soil. Depending on the size of the clump, divide it with a sharp knife, spade or shovel. Remove the old portion of the roots to encourage new roots to form. Now the divisions are ready to plant.

 

Some daylilies have small plants, called proliferations, on the stems of the flowers. You can plant these in wet sand in a small pot. Keep them moist until the little plants develop roots, then re-plant in a larger pot or in the garden.

 

To plant a bare-root daylily in an existing bed, dig a hole larger than the root mass—at least 12 inches deep and 12 inches across. If the garden soil has not been amended, add about 20 percent compost to loosen the soil. Mound soil in the center of the hole until the top of the mound is just below ground level. Place the daylily on top of the mound and spread the roots. Fill the hole with dirt, covering the roots. Firm the soil and water thoroughly.

 

If the bare-root plant has been out of soil for several days, soak the roots in water for a few hours prior to planting. If you can't plant a bare-root daylily immediately, put it in a shady place with the roots in damp sand or peat moss.

 

If you have gophers in your garden, consider lining the planting hole with wire, especially if this is the only specimen you have in that variety. Alternatively, grow the daylily in a pot until the roots become established, then plant it in the garden.

 

There are growers who specialize in daylilies. Check out their websites for more information on available varieties. The American Hemerocallis Society lists display gardens on its website at www.daylilies.org. California has four display gardens, of which three are open to the public. I have visited the Amador Flower Farm in Plymouth been amazed by all the beautiful daylilies.

 

Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a workshop on “Growing Olives” on Saturday, July 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at Big Dog Ranch, 1020 Congress Valley Road, Napa. Learn what varieties to plant, where to plant them and how to maximize fruit size and yield. Presenters will also discuss drought tolerance, irrigation, harvesting methods and managing olive pests.
On-line registration (credit card only) Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only)

Guided Tree Walk: Join U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County for a free guided tree walk through Napa's Fuller Park on Monday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There is no charge for the walk but registration is recommended as space is limited. Meet at the corner of Jefferson and Oak Streets. Online registration or call 707-253-4221. Trees to Know in Napa Valley will be available to purchase for $15 each. Cash or check payable to UC Regents.  Sorry, we are unable to process credit cards.

Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.

 

In the past, when I had pests in my garden, I just went down to the local nursery and picked up the appropriate poison. There, I said it: poison. I had never made the connection before. What brought this realization to the fore was that my dear friends lost their wonderful family dog to snail bait. It was not a pretty death.  

Who would not be angry to find that hours of planning and planting were undone overnight by snails?Understandably, you would want to annihilate the pests that thought you had planted this smorgasbord for them.  

But stop and consider what you are contemplating. You planted your garden in this pest's home. Yes, it's your backyard, too, as well as an environment shared by your family and neighbors. And remember that a lot of chemicals hang around for years. Do you want to work in or eat from a garden with contaminated soil? Better to consider some options that are less detrimental to all.   

“We are beginning to get a glimpse of the devastating consequences of the flood of toxins that have been, and continue to be, poured, sprayed, squirted, and pumped over the earth,” write Hilary Dole Klein and Adrian M. Wenner in Tiny Game Hunting (University of California Press). According to the authors, 4-1/2 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S. alone.  

As the leader of the bug brigade in my garden, I'm dismayed by this alarming pesticide use, and I hope that my fellow brigade leaders will take notice, too. Here are some suggestion for more environmentally safe practices.  

Modifying the growing environment is one way to combat unwanted pests. Monitor your plants for stress caused by poor nutrition and lack of water. A stressed plant is a weak plant. 

Check plants for pests and disease before purchasing them. Choose disease-resistant varieties when possible, and do your shopping at reputable nurseries.Fertilize adequately, apply the amendments your soil requires and rotate crops.

You can avoid many diseases with good sanitation, disposing of dead and diseased plant material in yard-waste bins. Turn soil regularly to incorporate healthy plant debris and prevent undesirable fungi and bacteria from spreading. Install drip irrigation, but when necessary, use a judicious squirt from the hose to wash off aphids or other pests.

Physical barriers like floating row covers, sticky past sand cardboard collars can discourage pests. Mulch beds to conserve water, control weeds and keep soil warm. When a site becomes overrun with pests or just needs a rest, use solarization to eliminate weed seeds, insect eggs and disease-causing fungi. For information on how to solarize soil, consult the Napa County Master Gardeners (address below).

Handpick snails and slugs in early spring before populations explode. I have enjoyed many a morning cup of coffee stomping on snails in my garden. Better yet, I put on my headlamp and go out at night to find and crush snails underfoot.  

Hoe or hand-pull pesky weeds when they are young. Don't wait for them to set seeds.

Many insects are attracted to yellow. Keep that in mind if you are devising your own traps. A shallow bowl filled with beer, buried so that the rim is at soil level, can lure snails and slugs to their death. Insecticidal soaps are another safe and effective tool for banishing some pests.  

When you discover a pest infestation, look first to beneficial insects for a solution. If you know what predators like that pest, you can encourage or import these beneficial predators.   

Clearly the environmental approach requires more research and time than just purchasing a chemical fix. At times, I have felt like Sisyphus, destined to push a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down again. But sustainable pest-control methods are more like that pebble dropped in the pond that keeps sending ripples outward.  

Workshop: Napa County Master Gardeners will conduct a workshop on “Ornamentals and Flower Gardens” on Saturday, March 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Learn about care and maintenance of ornamental shrubs and flowers in your garden. Discover how garden microclimates influence plant growth and success. Master Gardeners will also discuss hydrozoning and planting for seasonal color nearly year round, thus enticing more pollinators to your garden. Online registration (credit card only) Mail-in registration (cash or check only)

Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. Napa County Master Gardeners ( http://ucanr.org/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.

 

 

I bet that if you are reading this column you have already eaten edible flowers. Artichokes, broccoli and cauliflower—all common California-grown vegetables—are actually immature flowers. Perhaps you have tasted nasturtiums, a spicy addition to salads, or a favorite cook has prepared stuffed squash blossoms for you.

Many common flowers are edible. Growing some in your vegetable patch can brighten your meals as well as your garden.

Many plants produce edible flowers. I discovered a comprehensive list on Colorado State University Extension's web site (www.ext.colostate.edu). A short list of edible flowers includes roses, daylilies, most perennial herb blossoms and chrysanthemums.  As these plants are not generally grown in the vegetable patch, I am going to suggest some easy-to-grow edible flowers that you can include among your vegetable.

Before eating any flower, be sure you know what it is. A number of common garden plants have toxic flowers that should not be eaten. When eating a flower for the first time, you may not know if you or your guests will have an allergic reaction to the new food. Introduce new flowers in small doses.

Note that a flower may be edible but not tasty. This is especially true of plants that have many varieties, such as roses. All rose petals are edible, but some taste better than others.

March is a great time to add cool-season flowers to the vegetable patch. Nasturtiums are annuals that grow best from seed and flourish in our spring weather. Sow them now in average soil; if the soil is too rich they won't bloom. Keep them well-watered. When the weather gets hot, they do better in some shade and may stop growing. Both leaves and flowers are edible. The types with variegated leaves are particularly attractive in salads.

Calendulas are also easy to start from seed and have done well in my garden with little attention.  Even during summer, some plants usually survive and bloom. Because this plant self-sows readily, I have had continuous plants in my garden for several years. Only the petals are edible. Use them as a confetti-like garnish for salads, frittatas and rice dishes.

Violas, pansies and Johnny-jump-ups are wonderful cool-weather edible flowers. They come in a large variety of colors and color combinations, and nurseries carry many types for transplanting in early spring. Plant them in moist, rich soil and partial shade. They will tolerate light frosts; I have had good luck growing them in winter.  When the weather gets hot they will fade away. Their flavor is mild, but they add great visual appeal to desserts and salads.

When the weather turns warm, try some flowers that can take the heat. Marigolds are edible but many do not taste very good. However, the Signet marigold (Tagetes signata), also known as Gem marigold, has tasty, citrus-flavored flowers. Some named varieties are ‘Lemon Gem,' ‘Tangerine Gem' and ‘Red Gem.'

You will likely need to start these marigolds from seed, as transplants are not always available. Start seeds now in a pot for transplanting in late April or May, or wait until the soil is warm and start them directly in the ground. The plant grows into a one-foot-tall mound covered with half-inch to one-inch flowers. Give it ordinary garden soil, full sun and adequate water, and it will bloom well into fall. I think the lemony flavor of the blossoms complements fish dishes, and I have used the flowers to garnish tomato platters and lemon cookies.

Another summer plant to try in the cooler parts of the Napa Valley is runner beans. A relative of snap beans, runner beans have much showier blossoms with a mild beany taste. Most varieties are vining types and should be grown on some kind of trellis. Plant from seed in full sun after the soil warms. The plants will produce flowers and beans in a couple of months. As long the temperatures stay in the 80s, they will thrive. Because of their crunchy texture, the blossoms are great to top soups and as a garnish for bean dishes.

Once you start using flowers in your food, don't be surprised if your guests start taking pictures. Your edible flowers will turn an ordinary dish into an extraordinarily beautiful one.

Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. Napa County Master Gardeners (http://napamg.ucanr.edu) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on top navigation - Garden Questions?