As part of our ongoing pickable edible journal posts, we thought it would be interesting to do some arrangements made with only leaves and flowers you can eat. A fairly easy job most of the year but March when the garden is only re-emerging from winter doesn't leave us spoilt for choice! 

Flower arranging for tables and home is a real joy and things always feel and look better with some freshness in a vase. There's always the chat that goes around the head which argues to pick or not to pick? Leaving flowers on the plant means they’ll last longer, and the bees and insects get the benefit too.

With that in mind, the veg garden becomes the focus of the search. In March the only thing growing is the kale from last year's planting, and wow what beautiful leaves kale make! So that’s where we can start, followed by the Chard with its bright pink and orange and yellow stems. A corner of nasturtiums that survived the winter cold provides beautifully shaped leaves and fluorescent greens.

Herbs are a great back up too with rosemary flowering now also and the feathery fennel coming up.

Our first Rhubarb is also up with the glorious pink zingy stems. A branch of magnolia with the buds bursting is pretty spectacular in its own right too. (see our previous pickable edible post about pickled Magnolia Buds) Armed with these simple things we set about putting them in their vases to show how they can work so beautifully as a table centrepiece for a party or on the mantlepiece. Have friends around and then the next day eat the leaves and stems for your supper! As local and sustainable as flower arrangements can get! 

What we used in these images: 

Leaves for picking: Kales, Chards, lettuce, spinach, Beet tops, Cabbages. 

Herbs: All herbs, rosemary Bay leaves, edible geraniums, wild garlic.

Rhubarb stems for the drama. Make sure to not eat the leaves though as they will make you unwell. 

Magnolia branch with buds. The beauty of this is that the buds will open over time and you can pick and pickle. The branch you can re-use for decorating for Easter as your Easter tree why not.