Backyard Stories, Ingredients

An Edible Bouquet

by Irene

The bouquet pictured above is not only pulchritudinous, but also edible; it is not made of cut-up fruit, like the ones people send or gratefully receive as get-well-soon gifts, but of blooms from my backyard.

Counter-clockwise from left:

Lavender – the common name of a genus of at least 47 species of flowering plants, part of the mint family.  One of the frequently found in herbal gardens is English lavender; with an unmistakeable scent used in aromatherapy and to freshen up linens, it is also helpful in the kitchen for tea, and as a spice in salads and baked goods:

001 Lavender
English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Oregano – an ubiquitous herb in many cuisines, including Mexican.  Although the best time to harvest the leaves for the kitchen is just before the plant goes to bloom, it was captured from a different angle in the photo below, for the beauty of its tiny flowers:

002 Oregano in bloom
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Nasturtium – botanically speaking, has around 80 different species of annuals and perennials. T. majus is one of the most common species in the garden, and it is also 100% edible, from seed to flowers, which are great as a pop of colour in salads, while imparting a peppery taste.  In Spanish it is called mastuerzo (twister, for its pungency) or capuchina (for the shape of the flower reminiscent of a monk’s pious cap).  The one featured here is a variety new to my garden this year:

003 Nasturtium
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Calendula –  Last but not least, the humble pot marigold, recognized for its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, it is also used in the kitchen to add colour to salads, for tea, and its petals are sometimes used instead of saffron:

004 Calendula
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

All facts are from Wikipedia

I am joining Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC) Topic of the Week: close-Up of Flowers

14 thoughts on “An Edible Bouquet”

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