Savvy Gardening

Are pansies edible? Using pansy flowers in sweet and savory recipes

When spring is springing, I want to celebrate it both indoors and out. Every new bud and bloom is exciting,o and spring blooms are brought inside as decoration. Forced forsythia branches are added to vases with freshly cut tulips, at least one primula is potted up to brighten a room, and pansies are brought into the kitchen to decorate spring dishes. It’s fun to add fresh, edible blooms to salads and baking. They add a wow factor to the plate. If you’ve ever been wondering, are pansies edible, well, you are in luck. Because I love to include flowers in a variety of recipes (it’s basically edible crafting), I thought I’d share some different ways to enjoy pansies.

Growing snap peas from seed: A seed to harvest guide

Written by Niki Jabbour

Snap peas are a spring treat and growing snap peas from seed is an easy and reliable way to enjoy a bumper crop of this popular vegetable. Peas thrive in cool weather and are among the first crops planted in early spring with the harvest beginning 50 to 70 days later, depending on the variety. Snap peas are often called ‘sugar snaps’ and have plump edible pods that are sweet and crunchy. This relatively new type of pea is delicious raw or cooked and can be grown in garden beds or containers. Below I cover everything you need to know when growing snap peas from seed.

Basil companion plants: The best garden partners for basil plants

Written by Jessica Walliser

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an annual herb that not only brings flavor to the kitchen, but also surprising benefits to the garden. There are dozens of varieties of basil, and they all make great companions for so many other edible plants. This article isn’t focused on increasing your basil yield or even on how to make your harvest. Instead, it’s about which basil companion plants are great choices to grow side-by-side in the garden.
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When to cut back roses: Pruning advice for timing and technique

Written by Tara Nolan

In late winter and early spring, as our green thumbs are itching to get back in the garden, there are a few tasks that can be accomplished as we wait for warmer temperatures. Knowing when to cut back roses is one of those to-dos that fits within this pre-gardening season timeframe. I will say that a lot of roses, especially the newer varieties, are pretty low maintenance and don’t require a ton of care. If you are buying a small plant, it will take some time to become established, so you don’t necessarily have to touch it for the first couple of years or so.

When to transplant seedlings: 4 easy options for healthy plants

Written by Niki Jabbour

Knowing when to transplant seedlings can mean the difference between healthy, vigorous plants and those that are stunted and root bound. Seeds for vegetables, herbs, and flowers are sown in cell packs, plug trays, or peat pellets with most outgrowing their containers after 4 to 5 weeks. Transplanting the small plants into larger containers allows seedlings to develop robust root systems. Knowing when to transplant seedlings is a skill that is easy for gardeners to learn, even those just starting out. Below you’ll learn how to tell when the time is right to repot seedlings.

Boxwood leafminer: How to identify and control this boxwood pest

Written by Jessica Walliser

The boxwood leafminer is a common pest of boxwood shrubs (Buxus spp.). If you have brown, blistered leaves on your boxwoods, this little critter could be to blame. The boxwood leafminer was introduced to the North American continent from Europe in the early 1900s and is now found in nearly every region of the United States and southern Canada. In this article, I’ll share more about this pest and offer tips for controlling it without synthetic chemical pesticides.
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