Wealden Times | WT265 | June 2024 | Education Supplement inside

More than just
a pretty face
Garden
Jen Stuart-Smith
explores the
multiple uses of
some easy-to-grow
garden favourites
istockphoto.com/Oksana_Schmidt
When you grow flowers for
their beauty, shape and
colour it can be easy to
forget all the other qualities they have
to offer. Some are edible, others provide
scent – either directly, or in the form
of essential oils – while the real stars
of the show relieve pain and save lives.
At Blooming Green, where we grow
flowers for use in floristry, we’re big
fans of using them for more than just
bouquets and arrangements. In fact,
this year, we are creating an apothecary
garden, inspired by our colleague Kim.
Kim used to work in intensive care in
London and, curious about the beneficial
effects of plants and essential oils, studied
complementary therapy on the side. Not
only is she a fan of aromatherapy and the
use of essential oils but she often treats us
to goodies, made using flowers from our
plot and farm. We’ve had lavender cordial
and shortbread, wild garlic kimchi as well
as calendula lip balm! So, when we look
out on our flower plot, it’s not just the
flowers’ and foliages’ decorative qualities
we notice, but a whole lot more besides:
Clary sage: Striking, architectural
mauve spikes are perfect for large
arrangements or a dramatic bouquet.
The essential oil of clary sage is said to be
an aphrodisiac – though we are divided;
its musky scent is somewhere on the
scale between aromatic and armpit!
Feverfew: Even its name is suggestive
of its historic uses and power. Described
by Nicholas Culpeper, in his Complete
Herbal of 1653, as of ‘general utility
to the fair sex’, we have to agree –
though we tend to use its daisy-like
flowers for rustic posies and bouquets.
Mint: Perfect for a quick, tummysettling
tea or when boiling new
potatoes, we love mint and its
purply-grey flower spikes. Its
scent is invigorating and fresh.
Varieties such as buddleia mint,
apple mint and spearmint offer
different shades of green.
Borage: Pretty blue flower that’s
perfect for your Pimm’s or inside ice
cubes for summer drinks. Another
edible flower that’s a pretty addition
to salads or made into a sweet syrup.
Dill: Not technically a flower – but its
seed heads look wonderful in bouquets.
We use the fronds to make a Norwegian
cucumber salad and it’s great with fish.
Calendula: A classic peppery
petal that’s great in salads – but can
also be used in oils, vinegars and
tinctures. Popular as a companion
plant in polytunnels and on the
veg patch they attract pollinators
and aphid-munching predators.
Tansy: The bright yellow buttonlike
flowers on this native plant have
a strong, astringent smell. According
to Culpeper, this flower needs no
introduction… though we would
recommend it for its insect-repelling
qualities, either in a spray or grown
outside your kitchen window.
Nasturtiums: Another bright and
peppery addition to salads, nasturtiums
are easy to grow – so a fun one for
kids – and work well in containers or
scrambling over your raised veg beds.
Marjoram: Easy to grow, vigorous
and copes well with dry conditions,
marjoram’s tiny pink, mauve or
white flowers are part of its charm.
It works beautifully with summer
vegetables or in oils and vinegars.
Lavender: Fresh or dried, lavender
is wonderfully calming and known
for its sleep-inducing scent. Great
for pollinators and good for
humans too – who like to use it in
ice cream, biscuits or cordial.
Jennifer Stuart-Smith is cofounder
of flower-growing and
floristry business, Blooming Green
bloominggreenflowers.co.uk
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