Great ideas: Make an edible flower tower

June 9, 2:49 PMGardening ExaminerRobin Ripley

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Gardening Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Edible violas and parsley are paired to make these
stunning and flower towers.

I love to steal a good idea when I find one. Here's one I plan to copy--an edible flower tower.

I spied these showy structures at the Chicago Botanic Garden when I was visiting for the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling. They were at the entrance to the vegetable garden area--the same location that had the most amazing sunflowers the last time I visited.

These towers are made of violas--an edible flower with a peppery taste--and parsley. The heights varies slightly from about 2.5 feet to about 4 feet tall.

An accompanying sign provided some guidance for construction: "Wire cylinders lined with sheet moss and supported by rebar are sunk into buried underground pots. A central pipe irrigates from the top down."

I suspect that they also mean the central pipe has holes drilled into it to allow water to be dispersed as the pipe fills. PVC pipes are easily drilled for this purpose, allowing for even watering of the plants.

Other herbs that could probably be used for this purpose are thyme and creeping rosemary. If you don't mind a short-lived display, you could also try leaf lettuces.

No doubt these flower towers would require watering twice a day in the heat of summer. But what shower stoppers they are! 

If you're planning a garden wedding or other special outdoor event, these edible flower towers would certainly provide the wow-factor. Having a garden war with your green thumb neighbor? This should definitely tip things in your favor. And the bonus is it's not just pretty. You can eat it too!

Thank you for reading! You can reach me at gardeningexaminer@gmail.com and can follow me on Twitter at @RobinRipley.

Did you also know I write about fresh foods? You can read my food columns at the D.C. Fresh Foods Examiner.

Click SUBSCRIBE below to receive notifications of new National Gardening Examiner columns.