Floral Friday: Sept. 1

I've been growing edible flowers this year, and both types are looking great. The first are nasturtiums, which are growing in the front portion of my Eco Garden System. They stand in front of the giant kale and Italian parsley, which you can see in the background of the photos below. Nasturtiums have a peppery taste and can definitely be added to salads.

Another edible flower I grow is calendula. It usually comes in a variety of shades of yellow and orange, but there are other color combinations as well. Only the petals are edible, but they can be sprinkled on soups, pasta and salads. They also reseed like crazy! I have a bunch along my driveway that have come back from seeds for two years now! To learn more about edible flowers, read this previous story I wrote for the blog.

Since we are talking about edibles, here's an update on the Kieffer pears. Not yet ripe, but getting there!

I'm trying to figure out the actual variety of this "white wine grape" I bought and planted years ago. This is the first year that the vine is producing so well. At first I sampled them, they were pretty tart, but now they have ripened and are sweeter. Unfortunately, I'm lacking the time to really harvest these and make a jam out of them, but they make for a great snack as I'm out in the garden!

Speaking of edibles, here's an update on the Burpee 'Gladiator' tomatoes* ...

... and 'Oh Happy Day!'

I actually picked these tomatoes first on Thursday and, although it sounds corny, it was a happy day! They were my first tomatoes of the season after all!

Back to blossoms, the third variety of anemones in the front garden are beginning to bloom.

Along with this white rose of sharon, which I paired years ago in front of an ornamental grass. They go so well together!

The Joe pye weed is enormous, which means that I hadn't purchased 'Little Joe' like I thought I had years ago! But even though it is too large for its space and will most likely have to be moved, it is covered in bees and looks fabulous. I really like the hue of purple it is, too.

Here it is towering along my driveway.

And here's a peek of what is left to plant! (OK, I admit it! I did buy more plants!)

What's blooming in your garden this week?

To see what was blooming last week, click here.


* I was part of the Burpee sampling program this summer and was provided with plants to grow. I will be filling out a survey soon on how they performed in my garden.