By Kym Pokorny
Pop some flowers in among the beans and lettuce and you’ll have two times the chance for an edible harvest.
“Edible flowers look great in the garden and on the plate,” said Brooke Edmunds, horticulturist for the Oregon State University Extension Service. “Some especially pretty and tasty ones are the blue blossoms of borage, classic roses and chamomile with its little, white flowers.”
Others on her list include annuals such as happy orange or yellow flowering calendula, marigold or nasturtium; the distinctive faces of Johnny jump up or pansy; and traditional blue bachelor button. All of these are easy to start by seed indoors right now or directly seeded into the ground when the soil warms up in May. Follow the directions on the back of the seed packet and you’ll be golden. Don’t forget to thin the little seedlings, Edmunds said. Otherwise, they’ll compete each other out of existence.