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Make Your Garden Interesting By Adding Edible Flowers Like Chives

Text: edible flower series: chives and Angie's Recipe Garden logo
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.


Beautiful purple chive flowers grow in the garden

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 in 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:


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