rainbow of herbs + seeds + other good plants to eat

work
work Posts: 24 ✭✭✭

Hi everyone, -

in the previous thread I offered to share photos of my original :) Rainbow, tho even in it are mostly edible plants too. In offering, accidentally it veered off my original intent. Yet it was received well anyway. - So in this discussion, feel free sharing what rainbow of herbs + seeds + other good plants to eat have you planted & benefit from in a splendid show of red, salmon, orange, yellow, White, green, sky-blue, royal-blue, purple & lavender. - I have started a few. Please share your experiences & blessings... 🙂 Thank you.

Comments

  • work
    work Posts: 24 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2019

    When you were still little did you also used to get soo excited with any ideas you thought of, (that others' mention of uncertainty, doubt & fear, when useless) were dismissed outright; - as your only question was, & still is How... 🤩 Dozens of childlike skills merit being continued, even as this fits too into another discussion.

    Anyway, we know from permaculture & science https://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/amaranth-plant.html that 20 different amino acids are in a complete protein. We can synthesize 10. The other 10 we can't are "essential" amino acids that we get from Nutrient-rich foods. Amaranth & Quinoa each contain 18 amino acids. They both lack asparagine & glutamic acid, but our body can create those nonessential amino acids on its own, so quinoa and amaranth are regarded as complete proteins. Do you agree this when fully mature deep dark red Amaranth is just beautiful... http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/amaranthus-tricolor-early-splendor-amaranth-seeds is this edible ? - even if not, does not detract from its beauty.

    Also there is pineapple Sage, named for the pineapple scent of its foliage. it takes from spring until late summer to grow 3 ft. but then sprouts spires of dainty cardinal red blooms, just in time to refuel Butterflies & Hummingbirds for their fall migration.

    Further there is Red Yarrow , we have many 100's of the white, plus less of the pink & yellow. - so Say what kind of RED herbs, seeds & other beneficial to us humans plants are you growing... ?

  • work
    work Posts: 24 ✭✭✭

    Hi Lisa, am just exploring herbs more, am a beginner really, so forgive I dunno what is "red Shisho". I found https://www.siskiyouseeds.com/products/perilla-red-shiso is that close, or the same plant you have? it says it's aka Japanese Basil. - Discovered only recently just how many kinds of BASIL exist: http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/search.php?search_query=BASIL&Search= way over 20 ! Amazing! - How do you use your Basil, Lisa ? Thanks for making me aware.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for sharing, Lisa. -

    in case some think this rainbow is whacky, lol - since I already have planted for 4+ years this 55ft. rainbow I'm trying to make better use of space, & since attending the Herbal REMEDY conference online, I have more ideas... And yet I want to keep the rainbow color theme going... It may not look like much to anyone else here, but I have Fun doing it, & others walking past too appreciate the beauty coming Alive. - I asked for Herbal suggestions in this regard, as you never know who else reading may also be inspired 🙂

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭
    • Smooth and Winged/Dwarf Sumac have red berries and are a good source of Vitamin C
    • Wild roses have red berries that are also a good source of Vitamin C
    • Other red foods that I have grown: Red carrots, Watermelon, tomatoes, bell peppers (when fully ripe), Red potatoes

    I have also read that Red Shiso may be used to give pickled ginger the pink color that you may see when purchasing sashimi (sushi is the rice).

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    oh dear, this response was a month ago, & just now found it while looking thru the 140 some Bookmarks from all the helpful Additions people made. Thank you @Obiora E forgive me please. - Wild roses... might be good, is the vit. C in their rose hips ?

    Actually tried planting more obvious-edible Reds in the rainbow: Tomatoes & Bell peppers, & even carrots since their tops are more inconspicuous, but the minute the fruits appeared, people dig out! the plants in the middle of the night, to bring to their own place. They can do that as my 55-ft. rainbow is across the Front-yard, & starts at about 4-6 feet at either end from the street, as you can see in several of my photos. - And that side is the only one with no chain-link fence, iow open access. - so this is why I think HERBS might be better suited there.

    We find ourselves in a world with people of no morals, who do not think, let alone twice, harming, hurting, or killing any life, in any form they want. And what is their excuse? 'because I can'. <- in the midst of that world Intentionally I created this rainbow as another of many of my ways of saying "I will do good whenever I can, wherever I can, & for whomever I can". It leaves in me more peace...

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    Lettuce, swiss chard, and mustard come in red varieties. They aren't necessarily herbs, but maybe they would be inconspicuous enough?

    Nasturiums come in red. I haven't grown either of these but they look cool. https://www.superseeds.com/collections/spinach/products/strawberry-spinach-heirloom http://www.sampleseeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/P1010074.jpg

    the second picture is red orach from the sample seed website

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2019

    Hi @blevinandwomba Thank you also for your good suggestions. As am very Visual, naturally looked at the picture 1st, lol - Don't know what's up w/ the Strawberry Spinach (Heirloom 32 days), as 4 of 5 people leaving comments couldn't get the seeds to sprout, BUT it looks very similar to several other Ornamentals I've had, so adding it to my Possibilities...

    Couldn't see the Red Orach, but found it here: https://www.rareseeds.com/orach-red-/ wow, where have I been, lol

    And then, please don't scold me but the only way I can stomach the nutritious Chard & Mustard greens: in Winter crock pot which kills the vitamins, sigh. BUT we do eat lots of "red Romaine lettuce". The only issue with that (other than I'd plant it in the purple section of the rainbow), is if you are growing lettuce in the heat, plant them where they will get afternoon shade. Sigh, we have zero shade here except East of the house, & obviously that narrow strip already has a bazillion Shade-loving plants. oh boy, - anybody wanna come Help... LOL

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    Sorry the red orach link didn't work. If you scroll down this page to Atriplex hortensis you'll see it. http://www.sampleseeds.com/?page_id=1286

    I just thought of another plant that's red, and easy to grow- rhubarb.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @rainbow Yes the hips have Vitamin C.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @rainbow Yes the hips have Vitamin C.

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    What about red dragonfruit? It could be planted near the end with something to climb. The plant itself is green and thorny like a cactus, which might just be enough to keep people from picking it during the night. The fruit ripens to a beautiful pinkish red.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sorry @gardneto76 - but Dragon fruit is grown in SE Asia, Mexico, Central & South America, and Israel. - In the USA in PNW zones 7 to 8, Tho the cactus-like fruit tastes pretty good, it would not survive here.

  • gardneto76
    gardneto76 Posts: 528 ✭✭✭✭

    @rainbow , no worries. Not sure what zone we were talking about. I know several that are growing Dragon Fruit around me in zone 9a. That’s the only reason I know it needs something to climb on. It climbed a friend’s tree.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    Orange: I have grown various heirloom carrots, African Marigold, Nasturtiums (an heirloom variety that has an orange flower), Calendula (I can't recall if the flowers were yellow or orange).

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks @Obiora E - Yes, I have grown African Marigold, Nasturtiums, & Calendula.

    Also looking for Salmon plants as is my 2nd. favorite color.

    My 1st. favorite color is Lavender 🤩 which soon, hopefully before Christmas, I will get to post the photos of in my continuing Rainbows

  • bkpelfrey
    bkpelfrey Posts: 23 ✭✭✭

    Has anyone tried purple carrots? If so, how do they taste, like a carrot?

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @bkpelfrey I have eaten purple carrots I bought at the store. They taste like carrots, plus they have all the extra chemical goodness that comes with brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @bkpelfrey Yes I have grown Purple Cosmic Carrots and they were good, much better tasting and more flavor than carrots purchased in a grocery store. They also add other nutrients too that orange foods not have.

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @rainbow You are welcome. What are "Salmon plants?"

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @Obiora E - your question is from my post, in which I mentioned my two Favorite "colors".

    Individually am drawn to, & thus prefer mainly Soft... Pastels. - That said, sometimes I will also be drawn to darker/stark colors: the BLUEs as the best example, as you can see in my latest continuing Rainbows photo in which I will actually be mesmerized... a few inches from the plant for like 10 minutes as BLUE colors I find very calming...

    Salmon-colored plants: how many can you suggest that too are Edible? -

  • Obiora E
    Obiora E Posts: 517 ✭✭✭✭

    @rainbow What would be considered a "Salmon-colored" plant?

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @Obiora E - As you know the colors Apricot & Peach bring out the Orange tone more. Orange is a really cool color too, lol - To get to Salmon, add pink. (may sound crazy coming from a girlie, but have never really cared for the color pink.) So orange+pink together make the color Salmon, as you can see here on someone's pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/Katsflowers102/plants-color-salmon-apricot-coral/. (I had a gorgeous Salmon poppy (that some criminal dug right out of my rainbow, & carried off the entire plant !). Needless to say, I replaced it with a salmon Rosebush, & salmon Carnations, & salmon Geraniums.

    Have no idea IF there is a "salmon-colored Edible herb". Prolly asking for the moon again, lol