Intentional Gardening, Intentional Living
💛 Note: Always check in with your medical advisor or healthcare provider when introducing new herbs, remedies, or dietary changes into your routine. Your body is unique, and personalized care is essential for lasting wellness.
Everything I grow has a purpose—often more than one.
From herbs and fruits to flowers and trees, my garden is alive with intention. I’m drawn to plants that embody multipurpose magic, and I find deep joy in tending to a space that nourishes both my body and my local pollinators.
One of my long-time favorites? Edible flowers.
They're gorgeous, resilient, delicious, nutrient-dense, and medicinal. You can enjoy the petals on their own or toss in the whole flower. Even better, they’re easy to grow, which is important to me as an amateur gardener. Many edible flowers are garden superheroes. Strategically planting them helps deter pests (which I’m constantly battling), and they double as vibrant garnishes, nutritious ingredients, and gentle remedies.
Whether it’s tossing nasturtiums into a salad, placing violets atop a birthday cupcake, or steeping dried chamomile and calendula into tea, I truly can’t get enough. I even preserve herb flowers like chives in vinegar or dry them for later use in cooking and remedies.
🌸 Why I’m Obsessed:
💛 Edible leaves & petals
💛 Packed with vitamin C, lutein, manganese, iron, beta carotene & flavonoids
💛 Traditionally used for colds, coughs, sore throats, and infections
💛 Natural antiseptic & antibiotic properties (especially pre-flower)
💛 Herbal applications for skin, immunity, digestion—even hair loss
Edible flowers are a staple in my kitchen and wellness routine. They feed the body, lift the spirit, and brighten the garden with effortless beauty.
🌼 A Few of My Favorite Edible Flowers
🌿 Nasturtium
A secret weapon in the kitchen, nasturtiums add a peppery punch (like arugula) to salads, appetizers, and even main dishes. Both the leaves and petals are edible and rich in vitamin C, lutein, iron, manganese, beta carotene, and flavonoids.
Traditionally used to support the immune system and treat colds, coughs, and infections, nasturtium also offer antifungal and antibacterial properties. Bonus: The mature seeds can be pickled as a caper substitute!
🌸 Pansy
These beauties come in a variety of colors and are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. With a mild, grassy flavor, pansies are often used for their visual appeal, but I personally love the taste.
They’re great in salads, added to cupcakes, used as a pretty garnish on deviled eggs or frozen into ice cubes (find my recipe here!). Traditionally, pansies have been used to help soothe skin issues, reduce allergies, and support blood purification.
💜 Lavender
Lavender is one of the most versatile herbs I grow, it’s ideal for culinary, medicinal, and aromatherapeutic use. It helps relieve headaches, allergies, and respiratory discomfort.
Use fresh or dried buds in teas or drinks like my Cucumber Fizz recipe, rubs, marinades, spice blends, or sweet and savory dishes. I love to use lavender in my Lavender Flower Dry Rub (find my recipe here!) delicious on meats, vegetables, or even popcorn.
Don’t toss the leaves! They’re fragrant and full of flavor, perfect for teas, spice blends, or even added to bath soaks.
🌿 Borage
Borage’s brilliant blue blooms make it a favorite for me and the bees. The flavor is light and cucumber-like, and the flowers are rich in vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and essential fatty acids.
Use borage to garnish desserts or soups, in iced teas, or blended into smoothies and dressings. The seeds yield borage oil, rich in GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) an anti-inflammatory often used for eczema, arthritis, asthma, and dry skin. Borage seed oil can often be found in a concentrated form as a nutritional supplement. Looking for a boost for your skin? Find my favorite, high-quality brand of Borage Seed oil here.
⚠️ Caution: Long-term use may affect liver function. Always consult a qualified health provider before using borage oil or any new herb medicinally.
🧡 Calendula
Calendula is a must-have in any wellness garden. Use the petals raw or cooked, in salads, eggs, pestos, or salsas. They’re also perfect in herbal teas or flower ice cubes.
Medicinally, calendula is prized for skin healing, lymphatic support, digestive aid, and immune activation. It's often found in natural creams, baby care, and wound salves.
Calendula also makes a powerful companion plant, naturally repelling pests like aphids and cabbageworms, no pesticides needed!
⚠️ Caution: Avoid internal use during pregnancy, and individuals sensitive to the aster family (e.g., chamomile, ragweed) should proceed with care.
🌼 Grow with purpose. Live with joy. 🌼
Edible flowers are more than beautiful, they’re functional, nourishing, and full of quiet magic. Whether you’re cooking, sipping, healing, or just enjoying their colors in the garden, these blooms bring intention and wonder into everyday life.
🌿 Supplement Spotlight:
GLA 240 Karuna Borage Oil for Eczema Support
I am currently using Borage medicinally in our home to help support and soothe eczema flares, and it's been a gentle yet powerful ally.
One of the easiest and most concentrated ways to benefit from borage is through a high-quality borage oil supplement, rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)—a rare omega-6 fatty acid known to promote skin health, calm inflammation, and support immune balance.
As a newsletter subscriber, you have access to my professional-grade Fullscript dispensary, where you can find products like GLA-240 by Karuna. It is a clean, cold-pressed borage seed oil with no solvents or fillers.
💛 Why I love it:
Supports eczema and dry, irritated skin
Promotes healthy inflammatory response
Rich in GLA—more concentrated than evening primrose or black currant oil
Organic, cold-processed, and hexane-free
🔍 As always, consult with your trusted healthcare provider before introducing new supplements into your routine!