You may eat the flowers.  If you eat broccoli and cauliflower, you’ve been eating flowers of plants. Nasturtium blooms of yellow and orange and hollyhock petals of pink, white or lavender can really brighten up a salad plate. Their contrast against green spinach leaves is a delight for the eyes. The enjoyment of a meal is enhanced by the visual presentation.

You may as well eat all the pansy and viola blooms, as they stop blooming in May. Be sure any flowers you eat have not been sprayed with poisons and fall into the Flowers You Can Eat category.  Violas and pansies are usually safe, as they bloom throughout the winter months when insects are kept away by the cold.                                                               

Flower Power Cookies are semi-homemade sweet treats that are fun and easy to make with children. The base is a vanilla wafer or any mini chip cookie. Gather pansies or viola blooms with short stems. Cut marshmallows in half with scissors. Cut mini chocolate bars in half. Spread small amount of peanut butter on flat side of wafer and glue the chocolate to it. Spread another dollop of peanut butter on top of the chocolate to hold the marshmallow half. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar mix and microwave for 8-10 seconds. Immediately after removing from microwave, place a flower into the center of the marshmallow and press down with thumb.  Bags of colored marshmallows appear on the grocery store shelves in spring. If flowers are not available, select you favorite mini-cookie to press into the center.  Enjoy while freshly made, for the flowers do not keep.

Join Ruby at the 2013 SC Book Festival May 17-19, as her second nonfiction science children’s book, Growing Little Green Thumbs, met the approval of the Selection Committee. Go to www.scbookfestival.org and click on 2013 Authors. When the page comes up, click on the letter D to read about Ruby and the other 90 authors/presenters, exhibitors, Master Classes, and Scheduled Events.