Oct 9, 2022

Edible Landscapes - Preparing food with flowers and herbs

These are green spaces and ecosystems, where food can grow for animals and humans, in a way that sustains and regenerates itself. It can be made by planting a combination of trees, berries and vegetables, integrating new plants into the existing environment.

Here there is a description of forest gardening from the website of Färjenäs Forest Garden in Göteborg:

“Forest gardening is a low-maintenance sustainable plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and perennial vegetables which have yields directly useful to humans. Making use of companion planting, these can be intermixed to grow in a succession of layers, to build a woodland habitat.”

Farjenas Forest Garden — Source:https://grow-here.com/en/farm/farjenas-forest-garden/?cn-reloaded=1

Growing and caring for edible landscapes strengthens our connection to nature and underlines the link between nature and nutrition. It connects us with the source of food!

It offers a way of self-producing a part of the food we need on a small and local scale.

ACTIVITY - Preparing a flower&herbs spread

Goals

Through this activity we will prepare a flower&herb spread all together and share this tasty self-made garden food.

Further goals can be:

learning about some edible plants and flowers; learning their names, how to pick them and use them;
approach the topic of biodiversity through insect-friendly flowers;
activating manual skills in preparing a small meal and practicing the philosophy of self-made local food;
sharing food and thus strengthening relationships and connections between people in the garden. Getting to know each other.
explore the topic of healthy nutrition and discovering new flavours, activating sensory experience.

Target groups

The activity can be enjoyed by different age groups:

children, children with adults, young people, adults groups, mixed groups.

Methods for Inclusion

It can be offered through “easy language” (to overcome f.e. possible language barriers).

It can be described through use of symbols and pictograms.

The steps of the recipe are described in a simple and clear way.

The practical activity is easy to follow since it explains itself, showing the kitchen tools and the actions. The activity can be joined with different tempos: if somebody needs more time it is also ok. We can think about a vegan recipe as well.

Setting

A garden or place where you can safely pick edible flowers and herbs.

You will need drinking water, some kitchen tools and eventually a table for preparing the flower spread.

Description

Welcoming the group, opening a circle, names round, asking for the favorite herb or flower.

Small warm-up.

Explaining what we are going to do today.

Start: Participants are going to pick different edible flowers and herbs.

They can search together in the garden in small groups.

We can bring a picture of the plants we need and ask the participants to look for it.

Another option is to hide some of the kitchen tools (we will need afterwards), near the plants we want to pick:

We ask the participants to look for the kitchen tools in the garden.

When they find one, they search there for the edible flower or plant to be picked.

Each group has one flower or herb to pick. We will provide a bowl with fresh water for each group so that the flowers will stay fresh until we will prepare them.

The participants come together, wash carefully the flowers and herbs and dry them gently in some towel. Now they can cut the garden herbs, the garlic and the flowers as well.

All ingredients will be mixed in the bowl with butter or vegan alternative.

We can add some salt, pepper and lemon to adjust the flavours.

We can try if it tastes! Then we can enjoy all together with some bread.