Edible Landscaping

Good morning. My name is Kimberly Modiset. I own Native Life Landscaping. We are a custom landscape design and install business. I've been in business for about 26 years now. We provide custom designs for all of our clients. I don't do cookie cutter landscaping when I work with my clients. It's one-on-one and we create a garden that's specific and unique to you. Our style of gardening is very similar to botanical gardens. So, it's not going to be layered hedges unless you specifically ask me for that, but it's more natural like you're walking out in nature.

Today is probably one of my favorite classes that I've wanted to teach forever. Somebody's phone. Let me see the back. This class is awesome for me because when I create my gardens, I take into account that there's so many plants out there that people are unfamiliar with, that when you go out and explore your gardens, you can walk along and have a whole smorgasbord of food and petals or flowers or the leaves or whatever of the plant without even realizing it. There's stuff that you put in your garden that you buy in the garden center that you may not even realize are edible, such as the magnolia.

The magnolia, it's not the—I shouldn't say that. The leaves are edible, but not where you can chew on them like a salad. It's more like where you use them in stews. But the petals, the white petals on the southern magnolia, and the Sweet Bay magnolia. And then there's a whole other list of magnolia that are not available down south because they're not hardy down here. But those are the two down south that are here that are actually edible. They taste like they've almost got a very mild sweet taste to it, like a little bit like sweet lettuce. I incorporate them into my salads all the time. They're very, very healthy. They got vitamin C in them. And it's just something different. You walk around the garden and pick a flower. But make sure that your trees have not been sprayed or treated. And that goes the same with any plant that you're working with. I usually let the plant go through a cycle when I bought it from a garden center because I don't know what the nurseries that they're coming from, if they treat them. I let it go through a full cycle before I start snacking and nibbling through the garden.

Today I'm not going to be long-winded like I usually am, but I just want to touch on some of the plants that are in here. And I actually had to hold myself back. I'd had like 20 pages, and I was still going, so I kept it to I think 10 is what I cut it down to, but I just wanted to touch on some of them. We talked about the magnolia petals and I tried to put some recipes on here as well that you can try at home that you can keep in mind.

You do have to be careful of your plants if you're not sure. You need a pair of snippers for something. You definitely want to do some research and make sure that the plants that are in your garden are the correct species because there are some magnolia in particular, the little gem, which is very popular in our gardens down here. That one is not an edible plant. The leaves and the petals on it are actually toxic. So make sure that before you go and snack on something in your garden that you have the correct species. If you're unsure, it's better to come back to Busybe and ask or you can do some research as well and ask.

I put a recipe on here for how to pickle your magnolia petals. It's really simple, super easy. It takes about a day or two to pickle them. The longer you leave them, the better the flavor because it absorbs all of that. You can also use them as a magnolia tea. The longer you steep it, the better the flavor that comes out of it. They taste like ginger and cardamom. The ones that have more yellow on the petals are more gingery and cardamom flavor. The ones that are white are more buttery in flavor.

For those of you that like a sweet tooth, you can actually dry the petals. You can put them on a tray in your oven at 200°, 225, and let them bake for about an hour until they're dry. You want to keep checking them. Then you crumble them into a powder, and you can actually dust them on cakes and cookies. It's a nice little sweet addition. You're talking about the flour, the petals. Yeah, the white petals. Sweet Bay Magnolia. That's the one with the leaves that you can dry. You can also use them fresh. That's what we flavor stews with, or soups. I take the fresh leaves off of it. I have a tree in my backyard and I just pick the leaves and crumble them and put them in my soups and stews. You can also make a vinegar solution out of this one as well for flavoring. You can add it onto anything, even your mashed potatoes if you want, just for a little bit of extra flavor.

The next plant I want to talk about is the red button ginger. Unfortunately, we weren't able to source any today. Apparently there were two delivery trucks that just decided not to show up this week, so we couldn't get any in for you. But if you see them in a nursery, Tina definitely has them here regularly. They'll be along the far road or the far street, whatever you call it. They will grow up to six feet tall. They have this really cool, almost pine cone-like button on it. That's not the part you want to eat. That part is actually toxic. It literally looks like a red pine cone. You want to wait for these really pretty little reddish yellow flowers that come off the sides of those. If you can get them before the ants get them, and even if you don't, ants add extra protein. Or you can wash them off. You just pull those petals out and you can pop them in your mouth and eat them. I mix them in with salads. They actually taste like crisp green apple. They are very, very high in vitamin C and they're yummy.

I have one client that I was given free rein to do whatever I wanted with in her garden. She has edible plants all the way down. She's got about three-quarters of an acre and all the way down all sides of her house she's got something that she can nibble and snack on, and we have different pockets. She's like, I love going out in my garden because I just snack all day long. I go through guys with my crew. I have one crew that I work, but I'd kind of rotate through with people that actually work for me. Every time I have somebody new that comes on, I'm like, "You got to try this." And I'll go and pick one. Notoriously, the face is like, "I'm not trying. You try it first." I'm like, "Okay." So I'd eat it. They're like, "You didn't get sick or get poisoned or anything." I said, "No, it's an edible plant. Try it." They just bite the little tip of the petal off and then realize how yummy it is and they try it. But notoriously, there are a lot of plants in your gardens that you can snack on.

The next one I want to talk about is the invasive dollar weed that we fight in our lawns all the time. Before you go and harvest this, make sure that your lawn care company has not treated it. But if you get it when it starts coming out, they're actually really, really good for you. The stems are bitter, but the actual leaves themselves, mix them in with salads or you can steam them as well, but I like them better fresh. It's a great way to constantly have a source of greens because they're always in your gardens. You can also make a kimchi or a kraut with them if you pickle them.

The other one is pelane. Everybody's familiar with this. It's a common weed in our garden. We also sell it in the garden centers and nurseries, the prettier varieties. That is actually an edible plant. You want to make sure that you harvest it. I pull the whole plant and then cut the roots off fully, wash it because the soil can get trapped in the little crevices of the leaves. In the Mediterranean area, pelane is usually tossed into salads. They also flavor soups. In Mexico, they chop it up and add it into omelets. You can also steam it lightly for four to five minutes and add some salt and butter to it. It's really good. It's packed with vitamin C. It goes great with cucumber. Mix it into a cucumber pelane salad and top it with an oil vinegar dressing. You can also add it to smoothies. You kind of lose the flavor in it, but it still has all the vitamins and nutrients in it.

My next favorite plant is a hibiscus. It's called a cranberry hibiscus. All parts of it are edible. The stems are a little tough. Don't eat the roots, but the stems are a little tough. I usually just pick the leaves. The leaves have a tart cranberry flavor. I would wait to go through a cycle in your garden before you eat them because the nurseries that they come from, they will treat them with pesticides and chemicals. But you can take the leaves and eat them straight. You can mix them in salads or steep them in teas. The tea that I made today that is the rose hibiscus tea is that plant, but I actually used the petals of the plant instead of the leaves.

This is a really nice addition to your garden. It's not a traditional hibiscus where it's going to grow nice and full and bushy. It's kind of got a leggy, floppy habit to it. You do have to keep it regularly pruned unless you like that, which I do. I like how it just kind of meanders and grows up and down through your garden. It'll get about three feet wide. If you never prune it, it'll get four feet. I cut it back hard at the end of February or early March. I cut it back to six inches and it comes back nice and full. Then I take those cuttings and take them inside and eat them. Full sun, it'll take part shade but does better in full sun. It has gorgeous dark cranberry red flowers that you really don't see until you walk by and notice they're in full bloom.

It is very high in vitamin C, B2, B3. It's just a great all-round nutrient plant. I have them in that garden that I was telling you about and have had no issues. They're right on. They're in the anchor and their property backs onto the lagoon or river. They have wind tunnels on both sides and had no issue with them. I don't have deer at my house, but I have rabbits that live in my garden. They don't touch this.

Are they invasive? Yes, they can be, but they're easily pulled. I just kind of leave them and let them take over. My garden is very natural. Pests? Aphids, whitefly mostly. Sometimes they can get scale, but instead of spraying them, if I spray, I use safer soap or neem oil, which is an organic pesticide. I don't like using pesticides in general. I would rather release beneficial insects into my garden or use safer soap or dish soap with water, or simply cut it down, cut it below where it's infested, and throw it in the garbage. Don't put it into your compost area because it'll just spread. They are a little bit invasive. They will pop up everywhere, but I leave them.

The next one is the butterfly pea flower. I have two plants at home that I meant to bring so you could see. They are a rambling, sprawling vine. It's not a vine that will attach onto your house or structure and do damage. It needs some sort of structure to twine around because it is a twining vine. They grow aggressively. When you first put them in, it seems like, "Oh my gosh, they're not going to grow," and then overnight they're three times the size. They do die back to almost nothing in the winter if you get a cold snap. They'll be covered in seed pods. You can plant the seed pods elsewhere in your garden.

The flower is an incredible dark blue color. This plant is scientifically proven to help ward off and treat cancer cells. It is an anti-inflammatory. My daughter uses ground-up butterfly pea flour in her products. The flowers of this plant are amazing, with anthocyanin compounds called turnatadins, which give the plant its vibrant blue hue and beneficial properties. Fresh flowers give more health benefits, but dried flowers are still useful.

It grows in full sun, not full shade. A wire fence is perfect. It grows well on lattice. It will not thrive in a pot. It will die back in cold snaps, but it's deciduous and will sprout again. Regular pruning after bloom will maintain size and flower production.

Hibiscus, cocoa plum, sea grape, roses, buganvilla, and ntorium are all covered here with edible flowers and leaves, along with safety instructions, harvesting tips, and preparation methods.

Before you go and snack on anything, make sure you have the correct species. If you're unsure, it's better to come back to Busy Bee and ask, or do some research and ask.

Cocoa plum is another favorite. I love this plant. It is very high in vitamin C. They're kind of bland tasting, but if you don't cut your plant regularly, cocoa plums will send you fruit from late spring through early fall. You pick them when they turn plum-colored, not green, because green will be really bitter. You can eat them straight off the vine or off the shrubs. The plums are usually about this big. Sometimes a little smaller, but just wait until they turn that plummy blue color. The seeds are almond-flavored. You can roast and crush them. I tend not to eat the seeds raw because they're a little too bitter, but roasting solves that.

If you need a source for cocoa plum, just make contact with this lady right here. She'd be happy to share.

Sea grape is another plant that we all know. If you've never had sea grape jelly or wine, it is phenomenal. You can make pies or jelly pies. But you cannot harvest sea grapes off public land, or from a friend's property without permission. There’s actually a bylaw in place. They are protected species and also used as a windbreak for hurricanes. If you see ripe sea grapes along the beach, just admire them, take a picture, and grow your own at home.

I put a recipe for sea grape jelly here. I’ve made it once, but with great big trees, birds often eat the grapes before they’re ripe. You can net your trees to protect them. Please don’t plant sea grapes too close together—they’re trees and don’t like to be cut back to two feet. My backyard tree is about 30 feet tall, and I’ve pruned it maybe twice in 17 years. Sea grapes are a very messy tree, so they’re better for rustic landscapes rather than manicured gardens. They drop leaves all year long.

For sweetening sea grape jelly, you can use green grapes boiled with the sea grapes instead of sugar. You can also use the white pith of oranges as a natural thickening agent.

Roses are next. I specifically put knockout roses here because I think they're amazing, but you can eat any type of rose—drift, knockout, or fairy roses. Every part of the rose plant is edible. The stems are fibrous, so I usually skip those. Thorns should not be eaten. The leaves, petals, and hips before they're dried are edible. You can make teas or use petals for baking. My daughter inherited our baking tradition. Knockout and drift roses are best down here because they don’t require spraying and rarely get pests. You can use the petals to decorate cakes, either fresh or whole roses. Make sure the plant has gone through a full cycle before harvesting roses. Roses are full of vitamin C.

Buganvilla is another amazing edible plant. For years I’ve been using the bracts of buganvilla plants. These are not the flowers—the flowers are inside the bracts. I use them for tea. They’re very light in flavor and contain vitamin C. I’ve done research and confirmed that bracts are safe; some sources incorrectly say they’re toxic. You can infuse them in teas, add them to salads, or use them as a garnish. Imagine serving a salad full of buganvilla flowers and adding some red button ginger for crisp green apple flavor.

Ntorium is another plant I use. They’re peppery tasting, and both the flowers and leaves are edible. The seeds have the strongest flavor, like capers, and can be pickled. The stems are like chives. They are also a companion plant for tomatoes and grow very well together. To propagate ntorium, let it grow. When flowers turn to seed heads, they send out thousands of seedlings. You can harvest and plant them, or just let them self-seed in your garden. Cuttings with rooting hormone also work, but it’s usually easier to let them grow on their own.

Cranberry hibiscus in my garden has no irrigation system. I do that on purpose to see how plants survive. When you first plant something, water daily for the first few weeks, then every other day, and eventually let it thrive on its own. I have them in pure sand in full sun, and they’re thriving. Some are in part shade, where they get fewer flowers but still do well.

I always amend my soil. Florida has no nutrients; it’s pure sand. I use composted manure, and for acid-loving plants like magnolia, I mix in peat at a 50-50 ratio. I dig a hole, mix in compost and manure, backfill, and create a well around the plant. Regular compost, manure, or granular fertilizer three times a year helps plants thrive.

Ntorium is an annual, and I cut mine back; it regrows. I have a raised vegetable garden and let it trail down the side. Hibiscus flowers are edible, but usually only the flowers, except for cranberry hibiscus, where the whole plant is edible. Pelane is also edible if you harvest the right cultivated varieties.

Before you go and snack on anything, make sure you have the correct species. If you're unsure, it's better to come back to Busy Bee and ask, or do some research and ask.

Cocoa plum is another favorite. I love this plant. It is very high in vitamin C. They're kind of bland tasting, but if you don't cut your plant regularly, cocoa plums will send you fruit from late spring through early fall. You pick them when they turn plum-colored, not green, because green will be really bitter. You can eat them straight off the vine or off the shrubs. The plums are usually about this big. Sometimes a little smaller, but just wait until they turn that plummy blue color. The seeds are almond-flavored. You can roast and crush them. I tend not to eat the seeds raw because they're a little too bitter, but roasting solves that.

If you need a source for cocoa plum, just make contact with this lady right here. She'd be happy to share.

Sea grape is another plant that we all know. If you've never had sea grape jelly or wine, it is phenomenal. You can make pies or jelly pies. But you cannot harvest sea grapes off public land, or from a friend's property without permission. There’s actually a bylaw in place. They are protected species and also used as a windbreak for hurricanes. If you see ripe sea grapes along the beach, just admire them, take a picture, and grow your own at home.

I put a recipe for sea grape jelly here. I’ve made it once, but with great big trees, birds often eat the grapes before they’re ripe. You can net your trees to protect them. Please don’t plant sea grapes too close together. They are trees and do not like to be cut back to two feet. My backyard tree is about 30 feet tall, and I’ve pruned it maybe twice in 17 years. Sea grapes are a very messy tree, so they’re better for rustic landscapes rather than manicured gardens. They drop leaves all year long.

For sweetening sea grape jelly, you can use green grapes boiled with the sea grapes instead of sugar. You can also use the white pith of oranges as a natural thickening agent.

Roses are next. I specifically put knockout roses here because I think they're amazing, but you can eat any type of rose, drift, knockout, or fairy roses. Every part of the rose plant is edible. The stems are fibrous, so I usually skip those. Thorns should not be eaten. The leaves, petals, and hips before they're dried are edible. You can make teas or use petals for baking. My daughter inherited our baking tradition. Knockout and drift roses are best down here because they do not require spraying and rarely get pests. You can use the petals to decorate cakes, either fresh or whole roses. Make sure the plant has gone through a full cycle before harvesting roses. Roses are full of vitamin C.

Buganvilla is another amazing edible plant. For years I’ve been using the bracts of buganvilla plants. These are not the flowers. The flowers are inside the bracts. I use them for tea. They’re very light in flavor and contain vitamin C. I’ve done research and confirmed that bracts are safe. You can infuse them in teas, add them to salads, or use them as a garnish. Imagine serving a salad full of buganvilla flowers and adding some red button ginger for crisp green apple flavor.

Ntorium is another plant I use. They’re peppery tasting, and both the flowers and leaves are edible. The seeds have the strongest flavor, like capers, and can be pickled. The stems are like chives. They are also a companion plant for tomatoes and grow very well together. To propagate ntorium, let it grow. When flowers turn to seed heads, they send out thousands of seedlings. You can harvest and plant them, or just let them self-seed in your garden. Cuttings with rooting hormone also work, but it’s usually easier to let them grow on their own.

Cranberry hibiscus in my garden has no irrigation system. I do that on purpose to see how plants survive. When you first plant something, water daily for the first few weeks, then every other day, and eventually let it thrive on its own. I have them in pure sand in full sun, and they’re thriving. Some are in part shade, where they get fewer flowers but still do well.

I always amend my soil. Florida has no nutrients; it’s pure sand. I use composted manure, and for acid-loving plants like magnolia, I mix in peat at a 50-50 ratio. I dig a hole, mix in compost and manure, backfill, and create a well around the plant. Regular compost, manure, or granular fertilizer three times a year helps plants thrive.

Ntorium is an annual, and I cut mine back; it regrows. I have a raised vegetable garden and let it trail down the side. Hibiscus flowers are edible, but usually only the flowers, except for cranberry hibiscus, where the whole plant is edible. Pelane is also edible if you harvest the right cultivated varieties.

Pelane is a common weed in our gardens. We also sell it in garden centers and nurseries in prettier varieties. It is an edible plant. Harvest the whole plant, cut the roots off, and fully wash it because soil can get trapped in the crevices of the leaves. In the Mediterranean, pelane is usually tossed into salads. It also flavors soups. In Mexico, they chop it up and add it to omelets. You can lightly steam it for four to five minutes, add some salt and butter, and it is really good. It is packed with vitamin C. It goes great with cucumber. Mix it into a cucumber salad and top with oil and vinegar dressing. You can also add it to smoothies. You lose some flavor, but the vitamins and nutrients remain.

Cranberry hibiscus is another favorite. This plant is underused. All parts are edible. The stems are a little tough, so I usually pick the leaves. The leaves have a tart cranberry flavor. I wait until the plant has gone through a full cycle because nurseries often treat plants with pesticides and chemicals. The leaves can be eaten straight, mixed in salads, or steeped in tea. The rose hibiscus tea I made today uses petals instead of leaves. This plant grows leggy and floppy, but I like how it meanders through the garden. It reaches about three feet wide, and if unpruned, it can grow to four feet. I cut it back hard in February or early March, and it comes back full. I also take cuttings inside to eat. It prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade. The dark cranberry red flowers are stunning and very high in vitamin C, B2, and B3. The plant tolerates wind and rabbits, though aphids and whiteflies may appear. Occasionally, scale can show up, but I treat it with safer soap or neem oil, release beneficial insects, or prune infested areas.

Butterfly pea flower is a rambling, sprawling vine. It does not attach to houses or structures, but it needs something to twine around. It grows very aggressively. Initially, it seems slow, but overnight it can triple in size. It dies back in winter if cold snaps occur, leaving seed pods. Seed pods can be collected, planted, or shared with friends. The flowers are an incredible dark blue and are scientifically proven to help ward off and treat cancer cells. They are anti-inflammatory. My daughter uses ground butterfly pea flower in an all-natural lotion called Unwind, which relieves pain. Anthocyanin compounds called turnatadins give the flowers their vibrant blue color and health benefits. Fresh flowers are best, but dried flowers still retain some benefits. The vine grows full sun, tolerates some shade, and will flourish with a structure like a wire fence or lattice panel. It can grow in pots, but it struggles and must be frequently pruned. It flowers all year, and cutting after blooms helps maintain prolific flowering.

Cocoa plum is very high in vitamin C. Pick fruit when plum-colored, not green. Seeds are almond-flavored and can be roasted. Sea grape is best grown at home due to legal protections. Harvest only from your own trees, and do not plant them too close together. Knockout roses, drift roses, and other rose varieties are edible. Use petals for decoration, teas, or baking. Buganvilla bracts can be used for tea, salads, and garnish. Ntorium flowers, leaves, and seeds are edible. They propagate easily through seeds or cuttings.

Edible plants in your garden allow you to snack, create teas, and incorporate them into cooking. Always confirm plant species, avoid chemicals, and harvest responsibly. Following these tips ensures a vibrant, healthy, and unique garden full of edible delights.