permaculture

[<permed@nor.com.au>]

This is the text of an article I wrote about edible flowers for 
Permaculture International Journal some years ago - you might find some 
quotes in this
Robyn Francis


Flowers for Edible Landscapes
Robyn Francis

Flowers play an important role in an edible landscape and in any food 
producing permaculture. The benefits of integrating flowering plants into 
a vegetable garden are numerous: they attract bees and other insects 
including important pest predators, many varieties of fragrant flowers 
help confuse and repel some harmful insect pests, and there are a lot of 
flowers that can be harvested for pot-pourri, herb teas, cut flowers and 
also for food.

Many fruit trees and vegetables have beautiful flowers with aesthetic 
value as well as other uses. Some of my favourite flowering fruits 
include pomegranate, quince, and all the stone fruits, and there's 
nothing more delightful than the fragrance of a citrus tree in flower. 
Salsify, chicory, globe artichoke and Jerusalem artichoke rank amongst 
the most attractive flowering vegetables. 

Some of the plants grown in many gardens solely for their flowers are 
medicinal and culinary herbs and some of them produce edible fruit as 
well - like the fuchsia which produces an edible berry. Roses have always 
been a great favourite in ornamental landscapes. The old traditional 
varieties are the best for harvesting the hips (fruit) for herb tea and 
jellies, but any fragrant rose can be harvested for pot pourri and if you 
want a real treat, try making some rose petal jam.

The elderberry bush has been used for centuries as a multi purpose plant 
in Europe - it's medicinal qualities are listed in most herb books, the 
fruit used for preserves and elder berry wine and the flowers are prized 
for pot pourri, wine making and most of all for making elder flower 
fritters. The flowers of pumpkin and squash are a delicacy in many 
cultures - you can eat the male flowers and leave the females to produce 
fruit.

There are a surprising number of regular ornamental flowers that can add 
colour and zest as a garnish for salads or sweet dishes: violets, 
pansies, petunia, carnations, calendula and gladiolus just to name a few. 
I love to garnish a mulberry pie with borage flowers, spice a baked 
custard with ginger flowers, toss nasturtium and calendula petals in a 
fresh garden salad, or top off a parfait with a couple of violets or 
heartsease. 

There is a resurgence of interest in edible flowers which is rapidly 
becoming good business for back yard production and small scale 
horticulture supplying produce to local restaurants and food markets. An 
edible flower producer in southern California has tapped into a national 
market, with a US$1 million harvest from just 30 acres. Flowers for food 
must be free of pesticides so this is one new primary industry using only 
biological control. Harvest, storage, packing, transport and handling all 
require special care.

Care should be taken with eating flowers and it is important to remember 
that not all flowers are safe to eat. Never try eating the flowers of 
poisonous plants. If you suffer from hayfever, you're advised to give 
flowers a miss or try with caution as you could have an allergic reaction 
to the pollen. There have been cases of toxic reaction to some flowers 
listed as edible, possibly because local sub-species have developed a 
toxic compound due to different soil or climatic conditions. So be 
cautious, only try a small amount, one or two petals first time round. 
Avoid flowers that taste too bitter or caustic. Also remember that most 
edible flowers are primarily used as a garnish - don't go making an 
entire salad from your flower garden.
In moderation, flowers can be used not only to brighten up the garden, 
but to add an exciting touch to many a dish on the table.


References:
* The Avant Gardener Vol.23, No.9., 
* Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally - Robert 
Kourik
Resources (Avant Gardener): 
* "Specialty Flowers" Fact Sheet available free from USDA Office for 
Small-Scale Agriculture, Aerospace Building, Suite 342, Washington, DC 
20250, USA
* "Guide to Cooking with Edible Flowers" - Jay & Pamela North, Paradise 
Farms, Box 436, Summerland, CA 93067, USA  (US$6.95)


Djanbung Gardens Permaculture Education Centre
home to: 
Permaculture Education
ERDA Institute Trust
Nimbin Eco-Village Project Office
Robyn Francis - permaculture designer & educator
PO Box 379, Nimbin NSW 2480 Australia
Ph 02-6689 1755 Fax 02-6689 1225
permed@nor.com.au  www.earthwise.org.au