Add flavor and color to your garden by growing edible flowers
What Are Chives?
We’ve probably all had chives at some point in our lives – but do you know what they are? Typically found topping your creamy potato soup or a baked potato, chives are part of the onion family and are also edible flowers.
Chives grow tall, typically around 12″ and have beautiful colored edible flowers on top. Both the greens and the flowers have an onion flavor. The edible flowers are perfect for adding to salads.
Why You Should Grow Chives As Edible Flowers
In addition to the color and flavor they will bring to your garden, chives also help deter pests and are a “cut and come again” plant.
Chives, similar to onions, help deter aphids, mites, Japanese beetles and even rabbits! You can companion plant them with carrots and tomatoes where both plants will benefit from the other. I prefer to plant a “border” in my garden of chives & onions double layered for additional protection from bugs.
Not only will you get the above benefits, but you can cut chives 3-4 times during a season! In some zones chives are a perennial, check your zone here.
Growing Chives
Chives are best grown in spring and fall as they are a “cool weather” crop. You can start chives indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. If you choose to plant directly in the soil, plant when the soil is workable the spring. It’s important to note that chives need temperatures between 60-70 degrees to germinate, and can take a few weeks to sprout.
Until the next post in this series, check out other series on my blog.
Did You Miss An Edible Flower Post? Here’s All The Posts:
- Best Edible Flowers To Grow Series announcement
- Grow Vibrant Blue Borage This Year
- Make Your Garden Interesting This Year By Adding Edible Flowers Like Chives
- Plant Colorful Nasturtium To Combat Bugs
- Grow What Pollinators Love Beautiful Bee Balm
- Offer Pollinators A Place To Land With Calendula
- Beautiful Viola Flowers Will Make You Want To Bake More
- Grow Pansies For Edible Flowers And Limited Maintenance
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