I have quite a few grape clutches this year, I was quite impressed, maybe about 10-15 of them. Maybe enough for one jar of jelly if we don’t eat them all up fresh first. They’re a smaller grape and similar to the Concorde with seeds. I have trained them on a south wall near our outdoor dining area and it feels very meditteranean sitting there surrounded by all sorts of herbs and grapes while eating al fesco!

I often get asked how large grapes get here in Calgary so here’s a clutch of Valiant grapes in my hand so that you can get an idea of the size. They’re smaller than grocery grapes (probaby a normal size as far as a natural grape without growth hormones go) and have seeds but are bursting with flavour.

Valiant grapes

Valiant grapes trained on south wall

Ok what do you think of when I say salad? Mixed lettuces, cukes, tomatoes, peppers, red onions….ok but if you want to add WOW factor think FLOWERS!!

That’s right, flowers add amazing colour and very interesting flavours to your salads and many are growing in our gardens already. Here are 10 awesome flowers that always make my dinner guests say “Wow, what an amazing salad!”

1. Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris): I love these since they’re the right size to throw in salad and their flavour is mild, colours are lovely and with a scent that’ll make even the kids unable to resist.

Lilac

2. Roses (Rosa spp.): Most of us have at least one rose in the garden so don’t be afraid to pluck some of the petals from it this summer. The petals are mild with many gorgeous colours to pick from. The hips are edible too and loaded with vitamin C but don’t pop one into your mouth straight off the shrub or you’ll be looking for a place to spit it out real quick. Best thing is to dry them out and grind them up into a powder so you can sprinkle them on cereal every morning.

Rose

3. Violets (Viola spp.): Best know as Johnny jump-ups in our area, if you’re not lucky enough to have these popping everywhere in your garden then steal some from the neighbours. The variety of colours that come from these happy little self-seeders is incredible. If there’s one flower you use in the garden make it this one, it was the first one I experimented with. The whole flower can be used.

Violets

4. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus): I love this one because of the delicate wispy petals, they truly look gorgeous in salads. Use the petals only.

Cornflower

5. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus): This is an annual I plant every year along my garden stone walls where they look stunning hanging down in a myriad of hot colours; orange, red, yellow, red-yellow, orange-red, red-yellow…ok, ok you get the point. If you want to add zing to your salad then throw these flowers in, they have a nice spicy kick to them. Don’t stop there, throw in a few of the leaves too but not too much as they’re spicy too!

Nasturtiums

6. Chive flowers (Allium schoenoprasum) Pretty lavender colour and a touch of spice too. Throw them in whole or break them up in small florets.

Chives

7. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): I know, you’re saying “Lavender for zone 3? She’s crazy!” but here’s what we often forget; we have microclimates in all our gardens and many of us can push to zone 4 with a protected south wall. I grew L. angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ (zone 4) for 3 seasons in a highly exposed (we’re talking north winds screaming off the schoolyard across the street) with no fence or hedge for protection and a light covering of leaves on top before a late spring snow killed them. Now I grow them in a more protected area. Sprinkle flowers in salad and enjoy their sweet lavender taste.

Lavender

8. Bee balm (Monarda didyma): The flowers have a hint of mint and the leaves can be added to salads too.

9. Peony (Paeonia lactiflora): Common garden peony petals are beautiful in salads. I use just the petals and, like most petals, you can throw them in summer drinks, it adds a really nice touch.

Peony

10. Squash blossoms (Curcubita pepo): Look for the male flowers and remove stamens, these look best if you present it as one on each plate on top of or beside the salad. A friend of ours whose family owns a popular Italian restaurant in town occasionally pops over to get a handful of squash flowers in the summers which he brings them to his mom so she can make stuffed squash blossoms.

Squash blossoms

That’s it for the top 10 but there’s lots more to experiment with. Look for more on the internet or in garden books. As with everything, start out slowly and look to see if anyone in the family reacts. I still remember when my mom bought kiwis for the first time way back when they were first introduced to grocery stores in Canada. We all devoured them and then watched as my brother slowly began to swell in the face until his eyes were slits!! Watch for reactions and don’t eat plants which have been fertilized and sprayed. All my flowers are grown organically.

Evans cherry (Prunus cerasus 'Evans')

This little Evans cherry has been such a great performer in my garden. It’s about 7 years old and there are two on the property. They stand at about 3 metres (10 feet) and are near their full height of 12 feet making it very easy to pick the cherries. They are virtually maintenance free since their branches aren’t too dense. In the spring I usually check the branches for the 3 D’s, dead, diseased and damaged. I may find one or two branches to prune out but that’s it, less than 5 minutes!

Birds haven’t been a problem with these trees but some of you may have different experiences. My neighbour has a large Nanking cherry on her property which was totally gobbled up by the robins last summer. While on my side of the fence a only handful of Evans cherries were nibbled and it was a bumper crop so I had tons of bright cherries. I did feel a little guilty. However, I’ve planted two Nankings on my side of the fence in order to help take pressure of hers and I like to provide for nature. If the robins leave the Evans cherries for us, I’ll gladly plant Nankings for them.

The Evans is a sour cherry but they are quite sweet and I leave them on the tree for as long as I can stand it which allows them to get sweeter and sweeter. We eat quite a bit fresh and the rest I pit and throw in plastic bags in the freezer. We make cherry pies all winter with them and I’m drooling just thinking about how good they were.

A bowl full of evans cherries!

Evans cherry blossom