I was on Martha Stewart Radio today to talk about my new book about growing herbs and edible flowers. The question was asked, “What is your favourite edible flower?” and I replied, without hesitation, “Nasturtiums, hands down.”

Of course, now as I am typing this, I am hesitating, “But wait… what about roses? You really like roses. Don’t forget violas! You lose your mind over them in the springtime. Scented geraniums… you can’t live without them.” And so on…

Were I stranded on a desert island with only one edible flower at my disposal… I’d probably choose lavender. Okay, bad example.

No, really. I often choose nasturtium when asked this question and I think it comes down to the unexpected. Most people expect edible flowers to taste kind of sweet, floral, and a little bit weird, which is how many flowers smell. When I hold out a nasturtium, which does not have a particularly strong smell, and ask a friend to eat it, no one ever anticipates that their tongue will be met with a burst of sweetness and a spicy, radish-like kick.

Nasturtiums are fun, perhaps more-so than other flowers.

They are also very useful. The photo above is of a container of variegated ‘Alaska Mix’ nasturtiums that I grew last year. That container sat at my back door for months, supplying us with a constant stream of edible flowers and buds that we added daily to cold salads and as garnishes with warm meals. We eat the young, tender leaves, too. I have used them to make pesto, which is not too bad on toast with some Parmesan cheese or when used to flavour rice.

Growing Tips

As I mentioned on the radio this morning, the trick to growing nasturtiums in containers is not to let the soil dry out. It took me years to figure this out as nasturtiums that are grown in the ground are much more tolerant of drought and intense sun. It seems contrary to the popular adage that you should “…be nasty to nasturtiums“, but I’ve found that applies more to the nutritional content of the soil than to moisture. Like tomatoes, nasturtiums will endlessly produce oversized, healthy leaves in nitrogen-rich soil, but don’t expect many flowers.

You can get away with a slightly shadier spot when growing in pots, and they will even appreciate a little bit of protection from exposure, while in-ground plants are at their best when the sun is warm and bright. The other trick is to choose mounding varieties such as ‘Empress of India’ and ‘Cherries Jubilee’ that won’t outgrow the pot, or better yet, plant no more than three seeds into a wide pot like the one I used next to our door.

Here’s a link to another article I wrote a few years back on growing nasturtiums. And of course, my new book “Easy Growing” has a couple of pages dedicated to their culture and use. There is a photo on page 196 of my previous book, “Grow Great Grub” of a glass container of my own homemade, nuclear orange nasturtium flower vinegar. That’s my favourite way to preserve and enjoy their colour all year long.

Tomorrow is the big day! Tuesday, Feb 7 is the official release date of my new book Easy Growing: Organic Herbs and Edible Flowers from Small Spaces. It’s the day that the book shows up on store shelves, pre-orders are shipped, and the online ordering button is switched from “Pre-Order” to “Order.” I’m not yet aware of all of the stores that will be carrying it, but we have made a list of the major online sellers here. Electronic versions of the book will be released in the near future.

In case you’re wondering about its contents, a “Look Inside” feature has been added to the Amazon ordering page, we have made a short Show and Tell video (seen above), and sample pages have been added to the book’s website.

In anticipation of its release, we have also added a number of printable downloads to the website that are related to projects contained within the book. For fun, I made a bonus pdf of a recipe (Spicy Blue Basil Vinegar) that had to be cut from the final print due to space considerations. I know that handfuls of fresh garden basil is a distant dream unless you’re in the southern hemisphere, but I do urge you to make herb vinegars (any herbs will work) when you get the chance. They’re a good way to add some fresh herbal flavour to winter meals. We’re currently enjoying the medley of vinegars I made last fall.

I’m going to be on Martha Stewart Radio tomorrow morning, Tuesday, February 7 at 10:30am EST to talk about growing herbs as well as some of the recipes in the book. If you have satellite radio, you can tune in to hear it at Sirius XM 110.

While I am on the topic of book releases, here’s a peek at the German translation of Grow Great Grub. I can’t wait to see it printed.

While it is still early days yet here in the upper regions of North America, many of us (myself included) have begun the process of buying and planting seeds for the 2012 gardening season. There are 12 years of resources published on this website, many of which even I have trouble locating, so I’ve compiled a list here to make it easier for you.

Inspiration

• These Are a Few of My Favourite Peas
• Giant Cape Gooseberry
• Salad Greens: Direct sow these.
• Wild Eggplant: Just for the heck of it, I decided to grow one this year.
• Growing Beans: Buy now, but wait until after the last frost to direct sow outdoors.
• ‘Trionfo Violetto’: If you only have room for one pole bean, I’d suggest this one.
• ‘Spigarello’ Leaf Broccoli: A very productive and beautiful leafy green.
• Edible Flowers
• Delicious Nasturtiums
• Tomatoes to Grow in Containers (or anywhere else for that matter)
• Hot Pepper varieties that I grew in 2011.
• Italian Edibles

Seed Buying

• The Safe Seed Pledge
• Kitazawa Seeds Japanese seed company that sells interesting edibles.

Seed Starting

• Build a D.I.Y Lighting System
• Printable Seed-Starting Chart (This is a good place to begin)
• A Quick and Easy Germination Test
• Seed-Starting Instructions
• Toilet Roll Seed-Starter (Please note that I have altered this system and I no longer cut the slots or bother making a bottom. Though either works, really.)
• Make Your Own Seed-Starting Mix (scroll down the page)

Caring for Seedlings & Planting Out

• Yoghurt Container Seedling Pot: Upsizing to a larger pot.
• What to Do About Tall and Floppy Seedlings
• What to Do About Forgotten Fall Bulbs
• Growing Microgreens on a Windowsill
• Hardening Off

The suit, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) et al v. Monsanto, was brought as a pre-emptive suit by a group of 83 co-plaintiffs that seeks, in part, to protect themselves against the alleged patent infringement suits that they fear they will face if their seed becomes contaminated by transgenic (aka GMO) genetics.

“According to the Public Patent Foundation, Monsanto has one of the most aggressive patent assertion agendas in history. Between 1997 and 2010, Monsanto admits to filing 144 lawsuits against America’s family farmers, while settling another 700 out of court for undisclosed amounts.“

By now, many of us have heard about these suits that have been brought against small farmers across North American. They stand accused of growing crops that carry patented genetics, despite the fact that the contamination was not wanted. The case that comes to my mind here in Canada is Percy Schmeiser, a canola farmer whose fields were contaminated with Monsanto’s Round-Up Ready Canola.

Unfortunately, many believe this contamination is an inevitability. According to PUBPAT (The Public Patent Foundation at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law), “Co-existence between transgenic and organic seed is impossible because transgenic seed contaminates and eventually overcomes organic seed.” In an interview with Margaret Roach of Away to Garden, C.R. Lawn of Fedco Seeds (one of the plaintiffs) claims that this could be taken further, “… as said transgenic seed contaminates and eventually overcomes all other seed. Because it multiplies at will it cannot be contained.”

The outcome of today’s hearing will determine whether the case will be allowed to move forward or not. If you’d like to follow along and find out about the ruling as it happens, I suggest checking in with the following hashtags on Twitter: #stopmonsanto, #monsanto, and #occupybigfood. You can also watch a live stream of the happenings outside the courthouse and chat about the case and the issues involved here.

Margaret Roach has generously allowed me to publish this list of things that we as gardeners and consumers can do if we want to keep Monsanto out of our homes, gardens, and food supply.

What you can do:

• Support the campaign to label genetically engineered foods. See justlabelit.org.
• Support California’s initiative to become the first state to pass a mandatory GMO labeling law.
• Avoid purchasing transgenic foods in your supermarket, coop or health food store. The Center for Food Safety has good lists of what to avoid. [NOTE: PUBPAT “encourages the public to not buy any products made with corn, soy, sugar, canola, cotton or alfalfa unless you are certain it was made without any use of genetically modified seed. If you're not sure, call the manufacturer and ask."]
• If you belong to a food coop, help them keep transgenic foods out of their store.
• Varieties in our [Fedco] catalog have a source code. Purchase those coded 1-3 and try to avoid those coded 5, from multinational suppliers who engage in biotech.
• Buy open-pollinated seeds [Note from Gayla: A plant variety whose seeds develop as the result of random, natural pollination] instead of F-1 hybrids [Note from Gayla: A plant variety that is crossbred under controlled conditions to create very specific results.] whenever possible.
• Support small alternative seed companies who have signed the Safe Seed Pledge and don’t knowingly carry transgenic varieties.
• Better yet, learn how to save your own seeds and start doing it! [Note from Gayla: I have also tomato seed saving tutorial here. It's really easy to do and fun in a high school science way!].

Every year I try to buy at least one new amaryllis bulb. What seems like a needless expense in the fall when I am still coming down from a bright and plentiful growing season, is almost essential by the time the long grey days of winter kick in. That little boost of colour and life is worth every penny.

I bought this year’s amaryllis, Hippeastrum papillio aka Butterfly amaryllis back in late September while I was at a garden shop picking up spring flowering bulbs for the garden. I have been longing to acquire this beautiful variety for years, but the price — often over $25 per bulb — put me off. Ever driven by a deal, I threw caution to the wind when I found mine at a $3.00 discount. Hey, it was the last one in the bin!

Busy with putting the garden to bed, planting new bulbs, reshaping the garden, and putting up about a million pounds in green tomatoes, I forgot about my wildly expensive bulb underneath a pile of garden-related debris on the kitchen table until I spotted it in distress and attempting to push its first flower spike through its mesh cage. I quickly potted it up and it rewarded me with the first two blooms over Christmas. They’re shrivelled now, but another spike is beginning to emerge. Here’s hoping that it doesn’t bloom while we’re on vacation. Although, that would sure teach me for neglecting it early on. I’ve read that this variety isn’t particularly reliable about reblooming in the future, so I could be paying a penance for years to come.

On Getting a Deal

You can save money and buy discounted, albeit somewhat worse for wear bulbs just after the holiday rush. If you’re buying kits don’t be afraid to open the box and check the condition of the bulb inside. A long life on the shelf past its bloom date can lead to desiccation, and sometimes they’ve already bloomed a gnarled, misshapen stem inside the box. Even still, most amaryllis bulbs have a second bloom in them before their season is out, and they often come back and even reproduce in subsequent years if you take some added care post-flower. Sometimes they come back even when you don’t take as much care as you should. Most standard varieties are tough as nails. It’s worth getting a few cut-rate bulbs that will sometimes surprise you with an errant bloom into the even bleaker days of January and February.

This is an old project that I originally posted to this site back in the early 2000′s. It was lost when we switched over to a new design, but I’ve brought it back in time for holiday gift-making. (p.s. the photos are small due to the original page design)

You can expect a few more oldies, but goodies to appear here over the next week.

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This is a simple, but satisfying gift to make using herbs grown in your own garden. I’ve been making them for years and can fire off a large batch in one night. It’s the perfect gift for those who bathe — which is just about everyone.

What You Need:
• Cotton muslin or pre-made resealable tea bags (large size).
• Ribbon or string
• An assortment of herbs (see recipes below)
• Essential oils (optional)
• Rolled oats, epsom salts, sea salt (see below).
• Cellophane bags, cellophane roll, other packaging.

To make the bags you will first require some unbleached cotton muslin. Other cotton fabrics can be used, but I prefer this kind the most because it is dirt cheap ($2.00 and change for a yard or cheaper if you buy scraps from the ends bin) and has an open weave that holds in herbs yet allows their goodness to leach out easily into bathwater. In the past I have purchased ribbon (I’ll explain its use later), but this year I found some nice seam binding tape in earth tones for a very good price (29 cents a yard).

If you don’t want to sew you can purchase special large-sized, sealable tea bags made especially for this purpose. They are relatively cheap to buy and can be sealed with an iron. However, I guarantee you that even the most inexperienced sewer can make this. Keep in mind that it is going to be used a few times and eventually tossed into the compost heap. Precision is not necessary.

1. Start by cutting the fabric into squares. Any size is fine but I usually cut mine into 6″ squares because that is the thickness of my ruler and it’s faster.

2. Cut a 12″ length of ribbon or string. Butcher cord or just about any strong string you have on hand can be used. This will be used to hang the bag over the faucet so it must be strong enough to bear the weight of a bag of wet herbs.

3. Lay out a piece of fabric. Lay the string/ribbon on top in a u-shape with the U formed inside the square. The object is to sew the ribbon inside the bag so that when you turn the bag inside out, you can hold the ribbon like a handle. Place the other piece of fabric on top and secure with a few pins.

4. Sew around the square, making sure to leave a small opening to pour the herbs through. Turn your bag inside out through the hole, push out the corner and iron flat.

5. To fill the bag, take a piece of scrap paper and form a cone with it. Insert this into the hole and use it as a funnel through which to pour your herb mix.

6. Sew the seam shut with matching thread.

7. Herb bags can be packaged in cellophane to retain freshness and the potency of the smell longer. Or you can give as-is. Be sure to include a list of ingredients and instructions for use with each one. “Hang over faucet when filling tub. Hang to dry and reuse up to 3 times.”

Herb Mix Recipes:

Every year my recipes are different but they are always based on what I think are the three things people want out of a bath; to heal dry winter skin, to revitalize and stimulate their mind after a long, cold winter’s day, and to relax. As a result I mix my herbs accordingly. I often add a few additional ingredients including: rolled oats (coarsely ground in the blender first) for moisturizing and soothing, epsom salts for muscle relaxation and celtic sea salt (as opposed to table salt) for its healing properties. Powdered milk and citrus peel are also good additions. I have listed this year’s recipes below as well as a listing of other potential ingredients.

Please Note: When using herbs be sure your recipient doesn’t have an allergy. For example, chamomile is a common allergen to those with ragweed sensitivities (myself included). Also note that some herbs should not be given to pregnant women. Although you will not be drinking this ‘tea’, your skin is a semi-permeable membrane and anything that comes into contact with the skin will have an effect.

Soothing: Calendula petals, eucalyptus leaves, lemon balm, rolled oats, espsom salts, celtic sea salt.

Relaxing: Rose petals, lavender leaves, white sage, rolled oats, epsom salts, celtic sea salt.

Stimulating: Mint leaves, lemon grass, rolled oats, epsom salts, celtic sea salts, a dash of lemon grass and mint essential oils.

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Skin Softening/Healing:

· Chamomile
· Plantain
· Linden
· Rose Petals
· Ground Almonds
· Calendula flowers
· Chickweed

Stimulating:

· Mint (various)
· Lemon Grass
· Basil (various)

Relaxing:

· White Sage
· Calendula
· Rosemary
· Lavender
· Eucalyptus
· Rose Petals
· Thyme
· Beebalm
· Lemon Balm
· Chamomile
· Bay Leaf
· Jasmine flowers

Last weekend while preparing a medley of roasted root vegetables for lunch, I popped outside to collect fresh herbs, as I often do, a pair of scissors in hand.

Living in a place where I can see the garden from the kitchen and simply pop outside to pick herbs on a whim was the dream I had when we were looking for our next place to live. While there was a long list of criteria that superseded this small point, it was ultimately this vision that kept popping up in my mind as an ideal.

Prior to that there was always some barrier. In the apartment there was a separation between our living quarters and the rooftop garden. I was never able to look out at it fondly from indoors and popping out for herbs wasn’t really difficult, but it wasn’t accessible in the way our garden is now. Furthermore, a good portion of my herbs were grown in-ground at the community garden plot, which meant planning ahead and cooking with fresh herbs that weren’t minutes or even seconds off of the plant as they are now. It’s one of those small differences that makes me feel happy and grateful to have found this house, regardless of its many (MANY) faults. We’ve affectionately named it “Home of the Half-Assed” for a reason.

But I digress (as always). The real reason for this post wasn’t to tell you about the garden or my small dream. It was to say that while I was outside collecting herbs, I remembered the Jerusalem artichokes that have been waiting in the ground to be harvested. These chunky tubers taste best after they’ve been touched by the cold weather, but I will admit that the real reason I had put off harvesting them was that I was afraid to face the sheer quantity of tubers that are lurking below the surface, and the work I will need to do to preserve some of them. I’m still dealing with the tomatoes, believe it or not!

So it was with some trepidation that I grabbed a small shovel and a basket and headed to the back of the garden to assess the situation. Sure enough, we have been inundated. Wow. The roots are massive in size and thickly intertwined. I dug up a small basket’s worth, and am predicting a real windfall once I get the big shovel out and really dig up the area. The weather is supposed to be mild this weekend — I’d like to get them harvested before the ground freezes.

We had our first taste of the tubers thinly sliced and roasted alongside several other root vegetables and herbs that very day. Ours included carrots, golden beets, shallots, slices of ‘Delicata’ squash, ‘Orange Balsam’ thyme, and rosemary, but you can include any combination of root vegetables, alliums, or woody herbs that you have on hand. Turn the oven up high (about 400F) and roast on a pan, tossed with a sprinkling of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar (herbal vinegars work well, too). We enjoyed ours with homemade ketchup.

The forecast is calling for the year’s first snowfall today followed by a wet and rainy weekend. In order to beat the weather I spent two hours before dark yesterday hustling to get the remaining bulbs and transplants into the ground.

Today the anticipation of spring flowers reminded me of the clusters of white rain lilies (Zephyranthes candida) that were in bloom back in September at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

These were found tucked into a patch of bugleweed (Ajuga reptans), but they are also a good choice for containers if you lack space or your climate is too cold to sustain a permanent planting outdoors (as mine is).

The inaugural Heck Yeah! comes from an impromptu dinner I enjoyed last Friday here in Toronto at a Persian restaurant called The Pomegranate. The atmosphere and food was inspiring, most especially the use of herbs. I came away from our meal full of enthusiasm for Persian food and some new ways to use up the herbs I grow in abundance in my garden. Luck was on our side and we arrived hoping for a table just after someone had cancelled. If you’d like to experience the food for yourself, I’d suggest making a reservation. Tables fill up fast.

Please forgive the poor quality of these images. They were taken with my phone’s camera in very low mood lighting.

Doogh

I thought I’d tried every yoghurt-based beverage out there, and then I found doogh. More savoury than sweet, doogh is a refreshing combination of yoghurt and carbonated water, flavoured with dried herbs and spices. I believe mine was topped with dried and ground mint and rose petals, but I have since researched out recipes that include cumin and cardamon. I’m sure there are other secret ingredients and variations as well.

Persian Mint Tea

My friend Jen enjoyed a classic Persian mint tea, which is a simple drink (fresh mint leaves brewed in hot water) made special by this beautiful presentation. We both agreed that when it comes to food and drink, the rituals are as important as the food itself.

Rose Water and Pistachio Ice Cream with Pomegranate

After a large and satisfying meal, I didn’t think I had the room left for dessert, yet I could not walk away without trying the house rose water ice cream. The portion was generous — enough for 4 people — but we managed to devour it all between two of us, and on full stomachs no less.

Roses are an under-used flavour in Western cooking. One of my goals for my forthcoming herbs and edible flowers book, “Easy Growing: Organic Herbs and Edible Flowers from Small Spaces” was to encourage more people to make culinary use of the roses that they grow. A scoop of rose petal ice cream at a night market in Oaxaca, Mexico back in April 2000 was my introduction to this fragrant ingredient and the way I would suggest first trying the flavour if you’re unsure about eating it for the first time.

Probably my favourite part about giving presentations and running workshops is the one-on-one chatting that happens with fellow gardeners and aspiring gardeners afterward. I love those moments connecting directly with other people who share the same excitement and passion. I love hearing about what they’re doing and the look of satisfaction on their faces is contagious.

For that reason Seedchat turned out to be one of the highlights of my week. The transcript is now online, so you can still be in on the conversation even if Twitter isn’t your cup of tea.

I’ve compiled a few of my favourite tips below:

• Herbs That Dry Easily: Lemon verbena, ‘Dark Opal’ and ‘Purple Ruffles’ basil. We dry and use oregano, marjoram, and thyme year-round in cooking. Lemon balm, mint, anise-hyssop & lemongrass for tea. Also: lavender, calendula petals, rosemary, sage, winter savory, dill seed, citrus peels….
• Lavender Syrup (you can do this with just about any herb): 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, handful of lavender flowers. Bring to boil until thick. Let cool. Strain. Refrigerate
• In response to the high cost of canning jars: Remember that they are reused over and over so your investment will pay off over time.
• Herbal Vinegar: To a clean jar add: Sprigs of fresh tarragon and a few strips of lemon peel. Top with warm (not boiling) vinegar)

There are several more tips in the transcript including: preserving tomatoes, drying beans, drying herbs, uses for various herbs, favourite tomato varieties, harvesting seed, lots of good canning resource suggestions, thrifting for jars, addressing the fear around canning for the first time, making fermented drinks…