1 minute read
Eat Your Yard
Chinese cooks were experimenting with edible flowers as far back at 3,000 B.C.E. and the Romans used violets and roses in their food as well as lavender in saucesThe practice is still going strong today with many restaurants using petals to add a unique flavour and appearance.
Edible Flowers
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by Ashton Ryan
growing up i was taught that there were far more poisonous flowers than not and i was never encouraged to eat anything growing wildly in our yard. I understood my parents concern firsthand when my son was eating everything in sight and we spent alot of time in our yard I was excited and surprised to learn how many things in my yard were edible these days its so easy to research and learn about literally everything and learning about what was in my yard was no exception. an app i splurge on, the only app I pay for, is pictureThis which combined with the google lens app is more than enough to identify plants and mushrooms. joining local nature and foraging facebook groups taught me so much about my local native plants too. if social media isnt your thing, meetup.com is another forum to find nature groups in your area. Because it was so easy for me to learn so much, I cant help but share what i have learned and how i have learned it.
Not just for using in tea, edible flower petals are used in salads and in garnishing dishes and desserts, their mildly sweet taste or tangy flavor make the dish taste exotic. Rose petals have antioxidants that help in repairing the cell.
Zinnias have been used in traditional medicine to treat a range of ailments, including headaches, digestive issues, and skin problems. The leaves and flowers of zinnia are said to have antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties. Lavender health benefits include increasing your in take of certain vitamins and alleviating stress and insomnia. Marigold petals are rich in antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation and protect cells from free radical damage. They also contain compounds that can help stimulate collagen production in the skin, which can reduce the signs of aging.
