Tag

Flowers

Browsing

Artificial flowers and artificial plants are easy to care for and good for people without green fingers. However, these also need a certain amount of care. Consequently, you should regularly clean your artificial plants to keep them lustrous.

If you don’t want your artificial plants to become dust collectors, you should take good care of them. It is true that not as much sensitivity is required here as with real plants, but they need cleaning from time to time. We have the best cleaning methods for your artificial flowers.

Advantages of artificial plants

Plants create a cozy home. But they also do a lot of work, which can be particularly stressful for people without a green thumb. Or it leads to the fact that the plants bought do not survive long and new ones are bought all the time. And that’s not good for the environment or your wallet. Therefore, it may be worthwhile for some people to buy artificial flowers. Because the artificial plants need less care and fertilizing, repotting or watering the flowers is not necessary. So they don’t go in. In addition, there is now a large selection of real-looking artificial flowers.

Clean artificial flowers and artificial plants

But if you assume that you can buy artificial flowers and don’t have to take care of them, we have to disappoint you. Since dirt and dust accumulate quickly in apartments, you also need to clean artificial plants. Otherwise, they become the ultimate dust collector. But don’t panic, we have collected different methods to clean artificial flowers. In addition, note our tips for dusting.

1) Damp cloth to clean the leaves

The easiest and quickest way to clean artificial plants is to wipe them with a damp cloth. To do this, moisten a cloth and carefully clean the leaves with it. Don’t forget to wash the cloth in between. You can also use a feather duster, a hairdryer, or a dry microfiber cloth for cleaning. If you happen to have real flowers from time to time, read how to dry and press flowers.

2) Clean artificial flowers with salt

Dusty artificial flowers can also be easily cleaned by putting some household salt in a bag and putting the flowers in it as well. Then seal the bag and shake vigorously. As a result, the salt will absorb the dust and dirt and the flowers will look new.

3) Cleaning using a water bath

You can easily clean individual artificial flowers or small artificial plants in a water bath. So fill your sink or bucket with lukewarm water and add some dish soap. Then dip the plant into the water and gently rub off individual leaves. Then let them dry or help with a towel.

4) Clean artificial plants in the shower

In contrast to the water bath, you can clean large artificial plants better in the shower. To do this, place the plant in the shower and rinse it off with lukewarm water. If the plant is infested with stubborn dirt, you may need to help with a damp cloth. Finally, leave the plant in place and let it dry. And by the way, pay attention to our useful tips for cleaning the shower cubicle.

5) Use special care sprays

In addition to the methods already mentioned, you can effectively care for your artificial plants with special products. Because these ensure the preservation of shine and protect the artificial green, which can fade due to UV radiation. You should buy a care product that has an antistatic effect so that you can avoid dust and dirt for longer. Also, note our article on ordering and sending flowers online and keeping the Advent wreath fresh for longer.

Tulips should never be given fresh water during water changes. Why does this damage the cut flowers?

A colorful bouquet of tulips can make your heart happy and bring the fresh scent of spring into your home. Quickly fetch a vase from the cupboard, fill it at the tap and then drape it nicely on the windowsill: You can already feel the spring mood in the apartment.

After a certain time, however, there is less and less water in the vase because the tulips have drawn it. Should I drain the water and fill in new? This would be a mistake that would make the beautiful flowers look ugly sooner.

That way you can keep your tulips for longer

If you have the impulse to give your tulips new water, caution is advised: the water already in the vase should never be poured out, instead you should only refill the vase with fresh water. Because: Fresh water gives the cut flowers new energy, it allows them to grow or bloom much faster. But that also means that they age and wither faster. With the mixture of older and fresh water, the tulips will continue to grow, but more slowly.

However, it is important to refill in good time so that the nutrient content in the water does not become too high. So check regularly how much water your tulips have left. These cut flowers in particular draw water quickly, which is why repeated watering may be necessary.

So no fresh water for tulips! If you heed this tip, you can enjoy colorful flowers for longer.

With water bottles cut off or clay pots, you can keep your flowers nice and moist even when they’re on vacation. Drive with confidence. You no longer need to ask neighbors to water your flowers. The water bottles do this all by themselves. Do you want to go on vacation and can’t find anyone to water your flowers? No problem. With small water bottles, you will quickly master the problem.

Plants took care of despite vacation

If you don’t have a nice neighbor to water your indoor plants and window boxes during your vacation, you can also place the plants in the garden during your vacation without damaging them.

Dig a small pit in a partially shaded spot in the garden and place the plants in it. Then fill the space between the plants with wet peat and finally stretch a transparent film over it. Packed like this, your plants will survive the holiday undamaged and are well cared for.

Water bottles for watering flowers

Buy small plastic water bottles with a capacity of half a liter. They are nice and small and fit in your flower pots. All you need is a kitchen knife and you’re good to go.

How do I use the water bottles?

Cut the bottles in half with the kitchen knife. This creates a funnel. Now put the water bottles in your flower pots with the spout down. Then fill it with water using the watering can. The flower water can always flow and the soil stays nice and moist. Now you can go on vacation without worrying. The water supply lasts up to three weeks and you no longer have to worry about your flowers.

Clay pots for watering flowers

You can also use shapely clay pots for this purpose. which can be bought in hardware stores. You can also use these when you are at home, saving you the daily watering of the flowers.

In order for houseplants to live a long time, it needs proper care and avoidance of common mistakes. Consequently, we have the most important tips for watering flowers and plants. This is how the different plants grow and thrive and ensure a more comfortable atmosphere in the apartment.

Observe important information on watering plants

Essentially, you should differentiate between garden plants, potted plants, and indoor plants, because the different plants do not always need the same care. Many garden plants are more robust than some houseplants and not every place is suitable for every plant. Incorrect watering can lead to the decay of the plants.

1) Water flowers as needed

If you water too little, the plant will dry up. On the other hand, you must not water the flowers too much, otherwise, the roots will rot. But when the plants need water is difficult to estimate, since all flowers have different water requirements. You also have to consider the location. Accordingly, you can observe the following points for watering plants. Or find out about the requirements, the best location, and the water requirement when you buy the flowers. Because the care of orchids is different than that of the popular ivy.

  • the appearance of the plant. When the leaves droop and the plant looks thirsty, it’s high time to water.
  • location crucial. Depending on whether your plant is outdoors or indoors, other influences, such as weather conditions, need to be considered.
  • Observe weather conditions. If it’s very hot, the plant may need more water than usual.
  • Use pot size as a guide. The smaller the vessel, the more often you have to water. But also here the weather conditions have to be considered.
  • Watering at intervals can be helpful. Try watering your plants once a week and see how they do.

2) When watering avoid waterlogging

Avoid waterlogging of all plants. It doesn’t matter whether it’s bedding, pot, or house plant. Consequently, use loose potting soil or substrate, if necessary you can loosen the soil with sand. Also, only use tubs or pots with holes so excess water can drain away. You should also empty the pots and saucers regularly. The soil in the flower bed must also be loosened more often, otherwise, the soil will become encrusted and the flower will not get enough oxygen. Therefore, apply a mulch layer, because this way the water does not evaporate as quickly and the soil does not heat up too much.

3) Sparing watering is beneficial

The substrate is usually used in flower pots and it must not be soaked under any circumstances. However, the moisture content is easy to measure with small wooden sticks, if soil sticks to it, the soil is still moist enough and does not need water. However, if the soil is dry, then it needs to be watered. But here, too, small amounts are helpful, as water can always be added. Under no circumstances should you water so much that the water runs out of the drain holes. Also, note tips for planting and watering roses.

4) More water in the growth phase

When the plants are in the growth phase and are in bloom, they have an increased water requirement. They also need more water if the planter is heavily rooted. Of course, the temperature also plays a role, in the hot summer months flowers simply need water. The temperature of the irrigation water should be right, so just let the sun warm the water up a bit. Thus, the flowers do not suffer a cold shock. In contrast, learn how to dry and press flowers.

5) The best time to water plants

There is no fixed time for watering the flowers. However, you should water plants in the morning or evening. Accordingly, do not water the leaves during the hours of sunshine, because every drop of water acts as a magnifying glass and would damage the foliage. Of course, you have to water the plants copiously during the growth phase, while the plant can cope with very little water during the winter. If you water too much or too little, the flower will quickly droop its leaves and the bloom will also shrivel up. Therefore, check the moisture content of the soil beforehand. This is the best way to determine if the plant needs water.

Simply dry flowers and press dried flowers. Whether drying flowers in a book, with hairspray, or in the oven. Press flowers for children or dry flowers yourself. Dried flowers as a decoration or a dried bouquet. Make it yourself cheaply instead of having to order dried flowers online.

It’s a pity when beautiful flowers quickly wither. To make flowers last longer, flowers can be dried and then pressed. Because pressed blossoms or dried flowers can be used as decoration in the picture frame. Or give away a bouquet of dried flowers. It’s more fun to get creative. And even children can press flowers and have fun making crafts with dried flowers.

Which flowers dry best?

In principle, almost all types are suitable. The helichrysum is the most popular flower for drying. Marigolds, daisies, daisies, poppies, lavender, violets, and pansies are also suitable. Knapweed, hydrangea, heather, tickseed, larkspur, whorl-leaved, and dead-nettle are also often dried. Roses and gypsophila are particularly popular as gifts in picture frames. But many herbs are also suitable. Here you will find instructions and tips for drying herbs. Consequently, we show you different ways to dry your flowers and preserve their color.

1) Drying the flowers with hairspray

After picking, you should first let the flowers dry. Especially when the flowers are still damp from rain or dew. You can simply let the wet flowers dry on absorbent kitchen paper or blotting paper or dab them off. Only when the flowers are no longer damp can you dry your flowers. Check the flowers for insects, unsightly or wilted spots, and remove them. You should only use blossomed, beautiful, good-quality flowers for drying. Then tie them together with a wide ribbon or raffia to form a bouquet.

Now hang your bouquet in a well-ventilated, dark place. The attic or basement is best suited for this. It is important that the air circulates well so that the flowers can dry and that the room is dark so that they do not fade. Then you spray your bouquet with hairspray and make sure that the ribbon does not cut into the stem for the next 2-4 weeks. The flowers are ready when they are dry and crackle. If you want to dry flowers for eating or decorating cakes, see Edible Flowers and Dried Edible Flowers.

2) Preserved the color of the flowers

In order to preserve the color of your flowers, you should not expose them to direct sunlight. In order to be able to dry your flowers, you should only use dark places such as basements, attics, or pantries. Even if your flowers have already dried, you should not put dried flowers in direct sunlight. Light fades the color of the flowers. Incidentally, the same can also apply to dark laundry. You can find out how to avoid laundry fading under 6 common laundry mistakes.

3) press flowers in the book

For pressing in the book you need heavy books, if necessary heavy objects to weigh them down, tweezers and kitchen paper or blotting paper. Then you put a kitchen paper or a piece of blotting paper on both the book page and the flower. Next, carefully close the book. You should also weigh downlight books with objects. When a day has passed, you change your damp kitchen towel. After 3-4 days you change again. In about a week your flowers will be pressed.

When you move your flower, you’d better use tweezers so you don’t break them. If you want to dry delicate flowers, there is a risk that the petals will become brittle when pressed. You can easily prevent this by taking a small brush and dabbing it in a little cooking oil. You then carefully brush the delicate, small flowers with it. Then place baking paper in front of and behind the blossom to avoid oiling the pages of the book or the objects.

4) Press flowers with the iron

Flowers can be pressed particularly quickly with an iron. To do this, place the flowers between two pieces of paper or newspaper on an ironing board. Then you put a heavy book over it and press it flat for a moment to be able to iron it better. Check that the iron has no more water because it must not get wet when you press them. Set the iron to the lowest level and press directly on the flowers for 10-15 seconds. Then, after waiting for the paper to cool down, run the iron directly over the flowers a second time.

5) Salt and silica gel for drying

The color of the flowers can be preserved particularly well with dry salt or silica gel. Getting dried flowers with dry salt is very easy: you need sealable containers that you fill with some salt. Then you put the flowers in the container with the petals down and cover them with the drying salt. After about a week the flowers have dried. Silica gel or silica gel can also be used instead of dry salt. Silica gel achieves good results even within 3 days and can be reused.

Tips for ordering flowers online and sending flowers online. We’ll name a few online flower delivery services and provide a brief overview of the things to look out for when ordering and sending flowers online.

Online flower shops

Because there are many occasions when you want to give someone flowers. Be it for the birth of a child, an anniversary, Mother’s Day, or maybe Valentine’s Day. Flowers can help to reveal your love to someone, for example with a bouquet of red roses. But they can also express sympathy and wishes for recovery, as in the case of illness. We introduce you to some of the suppliers:

  • At fleurop.de there is a large selection of bouquets and bouquets for every occasion. The Fleurop messengers personally deliver the flower greetings to the addressee. Flowers are sent to over 150 countries.
  • At floraprima.de there is a free greeting card, a free glass vase, and a freshness guarantee for a period of 7 days with every flower order. Shipping of plush toys and wine is also possible. The dispatch takes place with shipment tracking.
  • At blume2000.de – Here you can order wonderful bouquets of flowers, beautiful gifts, and accessories. Blume 2000 grants online customers a money-back guarantee and a 7-day freshness guarantee. The flowers and plants should be delivered as shown in the internet photo! Blume 2000’s shipping partner is DHL Express.
  • valentins.de offers beautiful bouquets of flowers, delicacies, good wine, and other gifts with a 24-hour service throughout Germany. Here you can find unusual flower bouquets with a 7-day freshness guarantee.

Reasons for ordering flowers online

  • Flowers as a gift are always a nice gesture, whether in business or private life.
  • However, on some occasions, such as picnic invitations, excursions, or receptions, it is impractical and therefore rather unusual to bring flowers.
  • In this case, you can send a bouquet of flowers later as a thank you. Even if you cannot follow an invitation or the recipient lives in another city, it is often advisable to send flowers with a flower delivery service.

1) Choose a bouquet in the flower shop

Before ordering, think about which bouquet you want and how much money you want to spend. Most online flower delivery services display photos of the flower bouquets on their website. Here you can be inspired and choose in peace. Please note, however, that the individual types of flowers are not always in stock, depending on the season. As a result, the delivered bouquet may differ slightly from the order. In any case, the choice of color and the overall picture of the bouquet should correspond to the order.

2) Delivery date and address

Then you should also know on which day and to which address the bouquet should be delivered. With a flower delivery service such as B. Fleurop, you can send flowers not only within Germany but even to the other end of the world.

  • The customer is responsible for the correctness of the address of the recipient. If the delivery fails at the wrong address, additional costs may arise. The customer has to bear this.
  • In urgent cases, some flower delivery providers deliver the ordered flowers throughout Germany within a few hours. Here the order is given to a florist at the recipient location.
  • The bouquet is then freshly tied on-site and delivered to the addressee. A small express surcharge may be charged for this fast service, as with the Fleurop flower service.
  • With an express surcharge of approx. EUR 2.50, an order will be delivered on the same day if the order is placed by 10 a.m. (Saturday) or by 2 p.m. (Monday to Friday).

3) Guaranteed fresh flowers

Many flower delivery services give a freshness guarantee on their bouquets. The flowers are delivered fresh enough for the recipient to enjoy the gift for at least 7 days. If the flowers wither before then, depending on the supplier’s terms and conditions, a replacement can be requested when the bouquet is returned.

4) Personal greeting

It is important that the flower delivery is accompanied by a personal greeting, so that the jubilee, the bride, or the birthday child knows who would like to congratulate them in this way.

5) Compare prices

The prices for the bouquets are shown on the provider’s website. These are fixed prices, but some suppliers vary the size of the bouquet due to the current flower prices at the place of delivery where the bouquet is freshly made. It should be borne in mind that the lower prices on various occasions such as Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day are higher than on normal days due to the high demand, and the bouquet may therefore be a little smaller due to the fixed price. Ask if the number of flowers in each bouquet is guaranteed.

In addition to the price for the bouquet of flowers, a shipping fee or service fee of around 4-6 euros is usually charged. However, this flat rate may be increased by any surcharges for last-minute orders, deliveries abroad, or on public holidays.
These prices vary with the different flower providers such as Blume 2000, Valentines, Fleurop, and Flora Prima. A brief price comparison can be worthwhile for shipments of this type.

6) How to pay for online flower delivery?

There are several options that are offered differently from flower service to flower service. As a rule, you can pay by credit card or have the invoice amount debited from the specified bank account. Some flower senders also accept payment via PayPal or on the account.

Edible flowers and edible flowers and dried edible flowers. Simply plant edible flowers in the garden or window box or buy real edible flowers. Dried edible flowers for refining salads or as a decoration for cakes.

Use of edible flowers

Edible blossoms and flowers as well as dried edible blossoms are not only delicious but also a visual eye-catcher and also healthy. You can easily plant edible flowers, whether in the garden or in the window box. All flowers have special effects on health. Some are well-known medicinal plants that have been used for medicinal purposes since time immemorial. The flowers can be enjoyed pure or in salads or used to refine drinks and desserts. Edible flowers are a healthy addition to the menu, adding color and flavor to any dish.

Plant edible flowers in the garden

Many of the flowers found in the garden, such as the magnolia, tulip, and fuchsia, are also edible. If you don’t have a garden, you can buy the dried flowers commercially. Here you will find our tips on ordering and sending flowers online. However, flowers from the flower trade are usually not suitable for consumption. Some supermarkets or health food stores can sometimes find pre-packaged salads with edible flowers. However, these are not always fresh and are worth checking out.

Dried flowers can be found in many health food stores with spices or tea. You don’t necessarily need a garden to enjoy the edible flowers, as they also thrive in a box on the balcony or windowsill. Also, note our tips and tricks for watering flowers. It is important that the flowers are not sprayed with pesticides and have not been treated with artificial fertilizers. We have 16 home remedies for this as plant fertilizer and flower fertilizer.

Prepare the edible flowers

In preparation, examine the edible flowers for insects and remove them. Then the flowers are washed. However, they taste better if they are not soaked. The flowers should be harvested in the bud and preferably early in the morning when the aroma and the active ingredient content are most intense. You can only eat the flowers if you are sure which plant it is and know it is not poisonous. It’s best to learn which flowers are edible and which are poisonous. Genetically modified flower varieties are also discouraged.

Craft Dried Edible Flowers

In order to be able to produce dried edible flowers, you need a dark and well-ventilated place, such as an attic. It is important that the air circulates well so that the buds can dry. You will also need a tray or grid and clean kitchen towels. It is best to pre-dry the buds first. To do this, lay out your tray or grid with kitchen towels and place the buds on them at enough distance. Then you put the sheet in a dark, well-ventilated place. After about 3 days, the flowers will have dried a little.

You can now carefully separate the individual petals from the buds and distribute them on the tray lined with towels. You can also leave small buds where it would be too cumbersome to separate the tiny petals, such as daisies. Then you put the sheet back in the place to dry. After another week or so, most of the buds will have dried. It is best to test whether the flowers are crackling. When they are dry and crackling, you can put them in dark mason jars and put them in a dark place to store them. You can now use them for tea or to decorate cakes. Here you will find instructions and tips for drying herbs.

Tasty edible flowers

You can grow the nasturtium on the balcony. The orange to yellow flowers is very decorative in salads. The round, green leaves are also edible. The taste is slightly spicy and reminiscent of pepper. That’s why it goes well with all spicy dishes. The petals of the rose are edible and taste mild and sweet. They go well with all desserts and are decorative on cakes. Small rosebuds go well with the tea. You can easily make jam from rose petals, juice, and jelly.

In the Orient, rose oil and roses are very often used in the kitchen. In addition, violet blossoms have a very strong aroma. They taste just like they smell. Its sweetish aroma is suitable as an addition to all sweet dishes and cakes. The violet blossoms are also known as candied violets. The flowers are briefly boiled in a sugar solution and then dried. You might also be interested in our Valentine’s Day tips with the best recipes.

They ensure a good mood in the flower bed or balcony box – and on the plate: edible flowers.

Many cannot imagine a balcony or a garden without something in bloom. And rightly so: flowers are colorful eye-catchers in the garden, on the terrace and on the balcony.

The splashes of color in green aren’t just there to draw admiring glances. They also fulfill an important task: flowers attract bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other insects so that they can fertilize the plant and fruits such as apples, tomatoes or raspberries can develop.

Edible flowers not only as decoration

But many flowers are also edible for us. Depending on the plant, we can use the petals or even whole flowers in the kitchen. And not just as a decoration: With their sugar-sweet to peppery-spicy aromas, edible flowers give dishes and drinks a special touch.

Some edible blossoms are also valued in the natural medicine cabinet: tea made from lavender blossoms, for example, is said to help with stomach and intestinal problems and problems falling asleep. Infusions made from mallow are said to have a cough-suppressing effect. And the flowers of chamomile have even made it onto supermarket shelves as a tea infusion.

Edible or poisonous?

Flowers, vegetables, herbs and shrubs: Edible flowers can be found in every category. Unfortunately, they do not show whether flowers of a certain plant or species are edible. To be on the safe side, you should inform yourself in advance and be sure of what you have in front of you before you harvest and process it. If you are unsure: better leave it alone.

The blossoms of wild garlic, borage, buckwheat, daisies and elder are usually considered edible

The following flowers are inedible or even poisonous: columbine, Christmas rose, monkshood, angel’s trumpet, foxglove, laburnum, autumn crocus, lily of the valley, buttercup, hemlock, sweet clover, deadly nightshade and nightshade plants such as tomatoes.

You can do this with edible flowers

Edible flowers have many uses in the kitchen – fresh, dried, raw, cooked, made into syrup or jelly, or preserved in vinegar and alcohol. Herb and vegetable blossoms usually refine savory dishes, flower blossoms are particularly suitable for sweet dishes and drinks.

For example, you can spice up green salads with the freshly plucked flowers of nasturtium, cornflower, borage, rocket and daisies. When chopped, they transform herb quark, dips and herb butter into colorful eye-catchers that you can smear on bread and baguette or serve with boiled potatoes, steamed vegetables and grilled meat. You can turn elderflowers in batter and fry them and serve them as a main course. The same goes for zucchini: simply fill the blossoms with cream cheese – or the corresponding vegan alternative – and enjoy with a salad.

Edible flowers also in desserts

You can use edible flowers in many ways: If you prefer something sweeter, you can decorate desserts and cakes with candied rose petals or violets. Homemade pralines and broken chocolate become real eye-catchers with dried blossoms of lavender, rose, marigold and cornflower. They also give herbal salt and biscuits a special touch.

But edible flowers not only look good on the plate, they also look good in glasses and cups. Dried rose and jasmine blossoms refine green teas, while cornflowers and marigolds provide splashes of color in herbal mixtures.

Blossom ice cubes are culinary eye-catchers in summery cocktails. You can make a liqueur or dessert wine from fresh dandelion flowers. Fresh violets are useful for flavoring vinegar and sugar; you can also process them into syrup. Incidentally, elderflowers are also suitable for the latter – if you don’t want to make jelly or fry them.

Edible flowers and blossoms are real eye-catchers in your garden and on your balcony. And in terms of taste, they are an enrichment for summer salads, desserts and much more.
In the vegetable garden, edible flowers mixed with vegetables can also be very useful!

Which flowers and blossoms are edible?

Some flowers of vegetables and herbs are perfectly edible. Nevertheless, you should be very sure before consuming it, as there are also inedible and even poisonous flowers. We have created an overview of the edible vegetable blossoms, flowers and herb blossoms.

When harvesting flowers and blossoms, be careful not to let them fall off the side of the road as this is a popular dog litter box. Growing the flowers yourself also ensures that no pesticides have been used.

Grow edible flowers and blossoms in your own garden

You can grow edible flowers in the vegetable patch, on the windowsill or on the balcony. There are great seed mixtures of different edible varieties or you can choose your favorite varieties, such as the spicy nasturtium or the radiant cornflower for sowing.

Most edible flowers are annuals and, depending on the variety, are sown directly into the bed by the end of April or even by mid-May. You can find the exact sowing times on the packaging of the seeds.

Edible herbal flowers

The flowers of all edible herbs are also edible. Herbs are propagated by cuttings, which requires a little patience. It is best to buy an organic herb pot from a retailer and divide it among your beds. Herbs are theoretically perennial, but do not survive the cold temperatures well. In winter you can overwinter them indoors as a whole plant or just keep a few cuttings for next season.

Try the flowers of chives, borage and oregano. These are especially delicious!

Edible vegetable flowers

You probably figured it out: Most of the flowers from your home-grown vegetables in the garden are also edible. But beware! There are a few toxic exceptions that you should never eat: Potatoes, eggplant, and all bean blossoms shouldn’t be on the menu. You should keep your hands off that.

Other flowers such as squash or zucchini flowers are edible. This knowledge is particularly helpful in the high season of the zucchini harvest. Make processing easier for yourself by not letting a few zucchini grow at all, but harvesting the flower directly. They are delicious baked and out of the oven.
The flowers of fennel are also typical edible flowers that are often dried and made into tea.

Edible flowers in the vegetable patch

Planting flowers in your vegetable patch is always a good idea. With their bright colors and scent, they attract beneficial insects that will help you pollinate your vegetables. The strong scent clouds also deter pests.

The mixed culture of vegetables and flowers requires a little more space, but it looks good and tastes good.

Our top 3 mixed cultures of vegetables and edible flowers:

Borage and pumpkin or zucchini plants
Marigolds and tomatoes
Nasturtium and potatoes (never nasturtium and cabbage)

Harvest edible flowers and blossoms correctly

You should harvest edible flowers and blossoms in the morning and when they are fresh. So the highest content of essential oils is still contained in the plant. Shake the flowers briefly so insects can fall out. The flowers only have to be washed off if they are heavily soiled. Plants stay fresh in a glass of water.

Growing your own is the safest, as the plants have not been sprayed and are safe to eat.

Nutrients of the flowers

Edible flowers and blossoms are high in essential oils. These oils are used in medicine to treat various ailments.

Here some examples:

Rose against wounds and minor burns
Nasturtium (mustard glycosides) has an antibiotic effect
Daisies purify blood, purify the liver, against rheumatism and skin ailments
Elderberry anti-inflammatory and antibiotic, expectorant, antipyretic, diuretic, anti-rheumatic

Preserve edible flowers

There are many ways to process the colorful flowers and use them decoratively. Some like nasturtium and marigold are more suitable for savory dishes. Others, such as rose petals or lavender, are good in sweet desserts or as blossom sugar.

We know flowers like chamomile traditionally as dried tea. But fresh blossoms in bread dough, as colorful herb butter or cooked as jelly refine your dishes.