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“‘One never reaches home,’ she said. ‘But where paths that have an affinity for each other intersect, the whole world looks like home, for a time.’”
— Herman Hesse

Edible Flowers and Re-Imagining Home

August 02, 2016
All photos courtesy of horace & mae photography

All photos courtesy of horace & mae photography

 In June I partnered with Maketribe and the Baltimore Museum of Art for the final installment of their workshop series to showcase their "Re-imagining Home" exhibit .

We spotlighted edible flowers sourced from organic, local farms. There is nothing like being hella pregnant and trying to maintain composure for an outdoor flower demonstration.

It smelled like rosemary and sweat.

 Greenstone Fields provided the amazing poppies shown above, as well as the white campanula in the picture below. Most of the other items came from Laura Beth of Butterbee Farm, who offered growing and usage tips for some of the edibles on her farm. Scroll down to the bottom to see a list of a few of the blooms we sampled.

The fluffy pink stock shown above is actually in the cabbage family, can you believe it?  

It smells like sunset and cupcakes.

Demo piece composed of yarrow, poppies, dianthus, snapdragons, love-in-a-mist, honeysuckle, and japanese maple

Demo piece composed of yarrow, poppies, dianthus, snapdragons, love-in-a-mist, honeysuckle, and japanese maple

I like to build a foundation of greenery before adding any focal flowers.

Always strip any foliage that will be below the water level in your arrangement in order to prevent bacteria growth in the water and change your water frequently. 

Idle flower water smells like cat pee and regret. 

Student work featured  below. I love their gumption.

I'm always amazed that the same materials can look so different in different hands.

Edibles

  • Bachelor's Buttons- mild, cucumber-like flavor, used as a garnish for food and beverages
  • Chamomile- most commonly used in teas as a stress-reliever and sleep inducer
  • Dianthus- have a spicy, clove-like flavor and are sometimes used to stimulate the digestive system
  • Poppies- are NOT edible except for the seeds, don't let these pictures fool you ; )
  • Yarrow- tender leaves are used in salads and it's also used as to flavor tea and beer. It supposedly helps with menstrual cycles and menopause and is often used on wounds to stop bleeding and prevent swelling

Special thanks to Jess at Maketribe for planning yet another lovely workshop, the Baltimore Museum of Art for hosting us, and Horace & Mae photography for the beautiful photos.

Wishing you all a surprising encounter that feels like 'home' this week.

XO,

Mary Ellen

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