Q: My flowers are pleasing to the eye, but are they pleasing to the palate?

A: Many garden flowers can be used as edible garnishes or to lend flavor, texture and color to a cooked dish. Blossoms of borage, chrysanthemum, cornflower and Dianthus can float in a bowl of soup or punch. Violet, miniature rose, lavender and honeysuckle blooms add sweet flavor to salads or desserts. Daylilies and squash blossoms can be stir-fried, or batter-dipped and deep-fried. Culinary delights are endless, but read up before you begin—some flowers can lead to upset stomach, or worse, if eaten in large quantities. Refer to Fact Sheet #7.237, “Edible Flowers.”

Q: Dining on my garden patio has become a competition. The flies are winning. What can I do?

A: Housefly elimination is accomplished through good integrated pest management (IPM) procedures. The best way to control them on the patio and in the home is to exclude them by screening. Sanitation procedures include the obvious (clean trash receptacles, etc.), but also clean outdoor receptacles, keep dumpsters away from structures and use covers. Eliminate breeding areas of garbage, manure or other animal materials. Sprays and baits for flies are temporary and must be kept away from food. Refer to Fact Sheet #5.502, “Flies in the Home.”

Q: If you have ever seen pictures of Monet's garden you know how stunning nasturtiums can be. Is this a versatile herb?

A: Nasturtiums grow very easily and all parts are edible. They have orange, yellow, red or bicolor flowers. This herb prefers full sun and will tolerate poor soil conditions. They will grow along trellises, walls or banks, and hummingbirds are attracted to nectar in the floral spurs. Organic gardeners plant nasturtiums near vegetable gardens to keep aphids away from vegetables. The blossoms look very pretty when frozen in ice cubes and used to cool off iced tea or lemonade.

Gardening and Insect Fact Sheets are available on-line by clicking HERE.

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This page updated:  July 18, 2007