Growing Edible Flowers for Chef & Teacher Marcia Smart of Smart in the Kitchen

Growing Edible Flowers in Houston Kitchen Gardens

Nicole Burke the owner of Gardenary and Rooted Garden, and the author of the upcoming book The Kitchen Garden Revival, spends time in Smart in the Kitchen’s Houston Kitchen Garden harvesting edible Calendula flowers.

The flowers bring beauty to the vegetable gardens, attract beneficial pollinators and are used as culinary garnishes.

Each Growing Season is Unique in the Houston Kitchen Garden

Houston is unique in its ability to grow fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers year round.

This photograph was taken in May, when the garden still had lettuce, parsley and kale planted from the previous, cooler season. The lettuce and parsley is flowering, and consequently going to seed to prepare for the next cool season.

During the cool season, we grew peas along the panel trellis and in other seasons, we use the trellis for growing vining vegetables such as beans, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Edible Calendula

These beautiful, yellow Calendula were directly sowed into the soil of Marcia Smart’s raised kitchen garden by seed in February. The flowers were open and were ready to be harvested and enjoyed in May.

Harvesting Calendula From Raised Kitchen Gardens

“When to harvest” is one of our most asked frequently questions when it comes to tending the garden in Houston.

Calendula can be harvested at the first signs of a flower, allowing new blooms to form.

If calendula blooms go to seed, towards the end of their growing period, those seeds can be saved and planted the following year. And calendula is a prolific self-sower, meaning the flowers will easily settle themselves into the soil and grow again the next year.

Rooted Garden Border Garden Design

For Marcia Smart’s garden, we utilized Rooted Garden’s Border Garden design, built custom with untreated cedar. The Border Garden is ideal for those landscapes where space is at a premium.

A Border Garden can be added to almost any landscape, without compromising the clients’ existing space.

Speaking of garden design, we’d love to help you with your own custom kitchen garden design. Just like with Marcia, the best way to start is with a personal garden consult.

You can book a consult here with a Rooted Garden Consultant.

Edible Flowers

In addition to their beauty, culinary appeal and benefits to the pollination of kitchen gardens, edible flowers can help with stress, anxiety, sleep and medicinal properties. Sounds too good to be true, right?

But seriously, adding flowers to a kitchen garden is pretty much a necessity. They attract bees and butterflies, help are perfect companion plants, and also, they’re just pretty.

Shop some of our favorite edible flower seeds below.

Unique Options in The Houston Kitchen Garden

We were so honored to be trusted with the design and creation of this kitchen garden for chef and teacher, Marcia Smart.

We have enjoyed watching the garden flourish the last few years and we always love it when we see Marcia using fresh herbs, vegetables and edible flowers from her own kitchen garden into her unique and creative recipes.

The Rooted Garden Team is ready to help you get started creating your very own kitchen garden.