Incredible edible

In the modest 48-square-feet-plus-whiskey-barrel allocated to edibles in my garden, form often trumps function in the things I grow to eat: lemon cucumbers, red okra, scarlet runner beans (two varieties), rainbow Swiss chard, Chinese long beans, Green Zebra tomatoes, purple-black Diamond eggplant, Jimmy Nardello's red sweet chili pepper, a collection of herbes de Provence + herbs of "Scarborough Fair", and the 6-foot endive that looks like a big weedy mistake for all but the first hours of the morning, when it blooms with the blue that I cannot live without.

I've purposely stocked my vegetable beds with ornamental edibles, but the balloon flowers in my perennial back border are a surprising edible ornamental, as it turns out. Platycodon (platy, the prefix, meaning "broad", and codon, the suffix, meaning "bells": thank you, Dictionary of Botanical Epithets!) grandiflorum's an invaluable garden citizen. It blooms tall and long, and the blue velvet texture of the specimen in the photo above (looks much better "in person", trust me) is a knockout against bright pink phlox or lemon yellow daylilies.

Platycodon is doraji in Korean, celebrated in folk song. What's edible is not above-ground, but below: the fleshy taproots (pictured here, if you scroll down some) are peeled, soaked, julienned and spiced, and eaten as banchan. It's crunchy and very yummy; I'd been eating it for years and years before finally cluing into its floral connection.

I'd never sacrifice the balloon flowers in my garden just to get to their roots, but they're prompting a summer day's fantasy: a platycodon farm, with acres planted to billowing fields of the broad bells, in blue, pink and white. Mmmm.

Comments

[Kathy]

I learned from Growing Home: Stories of Ethnic Gardening by Susan Davis Price that Campanula glomerata is also used as a food source.

[kate]

I had no idea that balloon flower roots were edible. I just wrote a post about them ... I have a shorter variety growing in my garden. The blooms are bigger than on the longer-stemmed versions. I am tempted to uproot one just to see, but they look so beautiful right now that I think I'll resist the temptation.

[Melissa]

yummm, I get so hungry by just reading about your deluctible garden which is very familiar to my style. I look forward to reading some more.

[dorothy Guyton]

I amaze my friends with all of the flowers that one can survive on in my garden but I will never achieve the level of edibility in my garden that you have. i have fallen in love with that blue flower. When I think of the color blue I will always remember your picture post. If you enjoy reading materials related to gardening, check out my humorous book "Diary of a Wannabe Gardener" at Amazon.com I think you will find it an enjoyable adition to your library of good reads

[Sue]

Hi – this is an invitation to join the Garden Bloggers Retro carnival. I don’t know if you’ve ever come across the concept of a Blog carnival – if not I’ve explained it in detail on my site today (Oct 1). But basically the idea is to revive an old post which you think is worth rereading, or which you think new readers might enjoy. Send me the link to the post, and in November I’ll publish a series of posts describing and linking to all the posts people have nominated.
I hope you’ll join in and we have a fun carnival!
Sue

[Diane]

Great to find your lovely blog. In October I spent 5 days at Sooke Harbour House in Sooke, BC. They focus on their organic and edible flowers and plants for all their menu items. On my first morning I took their (free) edible garden tour and learned so much more about the incredible edibles! I've been planning on writing about some of the experiences in my blog ... procrastination ... I'll have to get at it. Again, such a lovely blog, I'll come visit again.

Diane at Sand to Glass

[Benjamin]

Great site! I have a balloon flower I transplanted this summer from my old house to the new (hope it make sit). It always had a few blooms that were marbled purple and white--it was pretty surprising and a joy each summer.

[weeping sore]

I envy your edible garden! My favorite edibles today are the cool season and root veggies I hated as a kid: cabbage, broccoli etc. Once I discovered how delicious they are raw with balsamic vinegar, I never looked back.

[music]

very interesting.
i'm adding in RSS Reader

[Annie]

Hi, just stumbled onto your blog when I was looking up "dyeing your fingernails the Korean way." Love your blog, love your sense of humor. As a 1 1/2 generation Kor-Amer (born in Seoul, immigrated when I was 6), I don't know too many Kor-Amers older than me who I can relate to. (I mean, I love my parents but they just don't know anything about my -Amer side). It was oddly familiar and really nice to read your Korean category blogs. I also see you haven't updated in a while, I hope I can read more soon!

[Bob]

Always such a good read. Have been looking since last quarter 2007 but where are you now? Like to hear more

[Barb]

Nicely said. I love the idea of a garden carrying meaning--be it medicinal, culinary, for aromatherapy, or otherwise. I hadn't thought of growing herbs de provence--I will now.

Hi, I adore Balloon flowers from the gardens of my childhood.
Are you still posting? This post is from July 30, 2007.
I enjoy your posts and will add this to my links at my blog.
Terra
terragarden.blogspot.com

[Terri]

I am going to have to plant a Platycodon. THe flowers are so pretty.

[Wall Fountains]

Hi friend thanks for sharing this information.
Platycodon root is a valuable herbal medicines for cold and flu.

[Gardening Seeds]

wow.. very nice info at this post thanks!!! great comments too...