SC - Re: homegrown flowers

[ChannonM at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/4/00 2:02:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org writes:

> Anyway, better safe than sorry. If you're going to eat it, grow your own.
>  I've been having very good luck controlling aphids and whitefly on my roses
>  and herbs with bi-weekly applications of lady bugs. Stubborn clumps of
>  aphids get a shot of pyrethrums. I won't have enough roses this year for
>  cooking with, but I hope to next year, and I want them to be safe to eat. I
>  think those Angel Face rose petals would be so pretty sprinkled on a
>  salat....
>  
>  Maredudd


Just peeking my head up here. 

I have had tremendous success with planting scads of garlic with my roses. I 
have 4 large grandiflora climbers (at least that's what I believe them to be 
after some cursory research). When I first moved here the roses had problems 
with black spot fungus, and the leaves were yellowing, few blossoms etc. I 
have been using blood and bone meal and planted lots of garlic around them. 
One of the bushes was a straggly transplant that I dug (more like tore) out 
of the childrens play area. It had 3 branches on it and was pitiful. In one 
year it grew to 7 feet high and about 10 ft wide with prolific blooms. 

It was suggested to me once (can't remember who) to freeze your petals (snip 
off the whites first) and then use them to make a rose syrup for cakes and 
pies (Platina has many references to just such a simple icing ie. Recipe 43 
Date pie "when it is cooked, it should be covered with sugar and rose water." 
) or use the frozen rose petals to make "rosaries". I have a rose book buried 
in my storage area. If I pull it out, I'll post the recipe for making rosary 
beads and a few others.

Hope everyones well,
Hauviette
Hoping to do some candied rose petals before the bloom seasons over