An Appetite for Flowers
story by Donna Hecker & photography by Talitha Schroeder
What is this, I ask?
Hyacinth bean, he answers –
Climbing to the sky.
Watching the purple hyacinth outstripping its trellis, it’s easy to imagine shimmying up the beanstalk like Jack, and plopping down on a cushy cloud. Farmer/gardener David Wagoner says there’s another name for it – ruby moon vine – which sounds even more magical.
Our purple hyacinth vines tower over the flower beds behind them and bridge the short gap between edible vegetables and decorative flowers, and the many plants which are both. As cooks and gardeners, we mostly concentrate on the vegetables but are grateful that this season our flowers are blooming more prolifically than ever.
Flowers have graced the public spaces at our Holly Hill restaurants for as long as we can remember. Chef Ouita, especially, looks forward to what we call “floral therapy” – it’s a welcome respite from more mundane tasks, and an artfully arranged bouquet always lifts our spirits and feeds our eyes.
Certain times of year call for certain flowers – lilies for Easter, roses for Derby, tulips and jonquils for Mother’s Day – but once our own gardens break out in bloom, nothing is safe from our clippers. That’s why we’re so excited that the Holly Hill Inn gardeners have expanded our flower beds; it doesn’t hurt that one of them is dating a floral designer, who provided extra encouragement and guidance this year.
Evelyn Streeter owns Eve Floral Co. in Cincinnati and grew up smelling the roses every morning at her family’s Michigan flower shop. Even her family name – Belfiori – is Italian for beautiful flowers. Her boyfriend Ian Feeback is our Garden Happy Hour guide at Holly Hill Inn and she’s already hosted her first flower-arranging workshop there.
We can all bring flowers into our lives; they shouldn’t be limited to luxury status. With so many locally grown these days, a beautiful bunch is easily found at your area farmers market or farm stand. We’re even lucky enough to have a nearby collective which offers both wholesale and retail sales.
The Kentucky Flower Market sources blooms from over 30 growers around the Central Kentucky region. Some, like Hazelfield and Elmwood Stock, are well-established full-time farms; others are just starting out, and being part of a collective gives them an opportunity to test the waters and explore available grant-funding.
Local markets teach us to appreciate that flowers, like vegetables, have seasons too and the joy they bring us is even sweeter for being so fleeting. And also like vegetables, many flowers are edible. A partial list includes daylilies, nasturtiums, our beloved spring beauties, marigolds, borage, hibiscus, roses, calendula, cornflower, pansies and violets. We like to dip blossoms in batter for a quick fritter or pluck the petals to strew over salads and sweets.
Wherever you pick your flowers, remember to leave a few behind for the bees and other garden helpers and don’t be shy about letting them mingle with their vegetable and herb kin, whether in the ground or on your kitchen counter. It’s so satisfying to lay out your treasures and enjoy them awhile in the altogether before they go their separate ways.
Then bring them back for a reunion when you set the table for dinner. Center a vase of summer snaps in the middle, fry up a batch of squash blossom fritters, toss a handful of nasturtiums into the salad bowl, and scent custard with rose petals or lavender. Finally, feast fully with eyes and palate both.
Squash Blossom Fritters
We used to plant a dedicated squash patch at Holly Hill just for harvesting blossoms. After a brief hiatus, they're back and more prolific than ever. Enjoy this recipe from Jacques Pepin, adapted by Chef Ouita, and feel free to substitute any edible blooms from your own garden.
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