Does anyone grow any vegetable plants just for the flowers?
I ask as I saw a flowering chicory during the week which caught my eye and which I will grow next year for the beautiful blue flowers.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Cichorium_intybus-alvesgaspar1.jpg
the rocoto chili has lovely flowers, bit small for the size of the plant (it's a big plant)
a lot of oriental veg I end up growing for the flowers :D
I didn't initially grow them just for the flowers but Shingiku/Edible Chrysanthemums make a lovely splash of colour, easy to overwinter too :)
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I am enjoying the flowers of parsnip and scorzonera at the moment (going to save seed of parsnip is my excuse).
Again it's accidental, but my parsley is going to seed and the flowers are very graceful - a bit like cow parsley though not as beautiful.
And although they look rubbish, the flowers of red chard smell very sweet - a bit like hay, but sweeter. As I walk past them I always notice the scent.
But I wouldn't grow either of them specially for their flowers. So... no! ;D
I'd like to grow chicory just for the flowers as I don't like the veg! I've let last year's parsley bolt. It looks and smells lovely! My runner beans are full of flower at the mo, but don't seem to be setting any pods, so it seems I'm growing them for flower too!
I always leave a parsnip and carrot or two just for the graceful flowers. Parsley too as selfsown plants are far superior. I have nasturtiums and calendula too but I don't eat them. Chives are grown more for the flowers than the stems - they make a lovely hedge.
At our open gardens last weekend, the item in my garden that got the most comment was the patch of parsnip flowers. Nobody recognised it and most seemed to struggle to believe it when I told them.
I got the impression there may be quite a few gardens growing parsnips for flowers next year!
Sally
I left a couple of parsnips to flower, only someone broke the tops off. Wonder if they thought they were doing me a favour
We grow the parsley for the seed and the bees and we also let coriander seed itself and flower. I did see some lettuce flowering last year that was a lovely purple
A Salsify appeared on my plot this year and as it looked interesting I left it to flower and it - and particularly the seed head - is beautiful. It sounds like such a disgusting vegetable I'm not inclined even to try to eat it, but I'll grow it again next year for the flowers.
I grow globe artichokes for both their beautiful leaves and the stunning blue flowers.
I picked a few heads last year and offered them around - but there were few takers - so the bees will really have a feast!
Old Bird