When I arrived home from Florida yesterday (I was there speaking at Epcot’s International Garden Festival) I noted a few daffodils in bloom along the ride home from the airport, but none (yet) in my own garden. Then this morning….I peeked outside to see a couple of yellow dots had suddenly appeared overnight in an otherwise brownish landscape. (Woohoo!!)
I’ll go inspect more closely once the rain stops.
But you know what this means? It means that we are officially in garden flower cutting season!
And you know what that means? Well, for me it means roughly five – or maybe even six (if I’m lucky) months of free floral decorations to experiment with.
I plan to play more this summer (honestly, I feel like I might be taking myself entirely too seriously lately) – it is a pre-summer resolution – more flowers, more photogrpahy, more creativity, more beach days, more fun — and less facebook (I’m increasingly in disdain of that place), less stress, and less disconnect from the parts of my job that inspire my passion (like planting and picking flowers).
Cakes are fun, and fresh-cut flowers on cakes are even better.
Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty shared trends and ideas for garnishing cakes with garden flowers in the Spring Issue of PITH + VIGOR. I plan to try every trend on some sort of new cake flavor during this garden flower season – it is my own version of one of those bloggy photo-a-day challenges.
My version will be a flower covered cake a month (my waist line can’t handle more). I’ll share them all here and on instagram. Want to join me? Maybe we should start an instagram hashtag? I’m plotting a daffodil cake now….
If you’d like to see more cake trends, check out the spring 2015 issue digitally, or order your print copy.
Buy the Spring 2015 Issue (In Print)
Download the Spring 2015 Issue (Digital)
Get an annual subscription to PITH + VIGOR
image by Nbarrett Photography
In the early 80’s, I had a nursery that sold edible flower plants (and heirloom vegetables and culinary herbs). One of the things I did was to research which flowers are edible. Rosalind Creasy, who wrote a comprehensive chapter on the subject in one of her early books, relates a story of having to rush her husband to the hospital, after letting him eat the wrong Primula species (she recommends always listing scientific name when discussing edible flowers. After a notorious edition of Bon Appetit magazine appeared with a sorbet-stuffed calla lily on the cover (poisonous), and a year or so later, I saw a wedding cake bedecked with poisonous flowers – ‘oh, you aren’t meant to EAT those!’, I adopted the same rule that is law in Canada – if you can’t eat it, don’t plate it. You can’t know who is going to nibble on a flower (and were they sprayed with pesticides?) I love flowers on cakes, and I have frequently used them – so easy and so beautiful! There are plenty of safe. edible choices. Sally Holmes roses are one of my favorites. Anything in the viola group. Tuberous begonias (not the other begonias). Purple snow peas (but sweet peas are poisonous) Caution is wise. Daffodil bulbs are poisonous; and although I am not certain, it seems likely that the flowers are as well.
Frederique – I get your point about never knowing who will eat something that they shoudln’t and perhaps the excuse ‘oh, you aren’t meant to EAT those!’ isn’t enough in many situations (i.e. if I were serving the cake to a wider group of people). but in my own family and for my own creative purposes I am more than comfortable – but if and when I share the pictures, I will make certain to make a special note that I am not encouraging anyone to eat the flowers!! Thanks for the suggestions of flowers!
I’ve always preferred having edible decorations on cakes, which is weird since I love gardening. My girlfriend makes some incredibly life like petals, it really is awesome what you can do with icing if you’re talented.
The picture you included in this post is gorgeous, the color combinations are what make it so fabulous!
Thanks for a great post… AGAIN!
I, like Frederique, grow lots of edible flowers and use them to garnish cakes all spring and summer. I agree its an inexpensive, classic cake decoration. Some of my favorites are violets, bee balm, echinacea, roses and nasturtium. All homegrown and not treated with pesticides of course.
I did see how, if you’re using non-edible flowers,you can wrap the stems in plastic wrap before poking them into the cake or lying them on the frosting, so any of that gooey inside stuff doesn’t leak into your cake!
I’m excited to see what you come up with Rochelle! I love your Instagram feed!