Beautiful and useful

Karen E. Varga
Editor

When I was in Columbus for Cultivate’15 recently, my colleague and I stopped by a fancy chocolatier for a little dessert. It took a while to decide which tiny chocolate creations to take with us because there were so many choices, including some that were unusual, such as the lavender-infused truffle. As I pondered the choices, I reminisced about the last time I tried that tasty combination as well as other sweets that incorporated parts of other plants, including rose petals and chamomile. The unique flavors have stayed strong in my memory.

Now, we’ve talked in the past about some of the intangible and tangible benefits of having plants in your life, such as how they foster creativity, clean the air and make areas more aesthetically appealing. However, there is a whole other area that we haven’t delved into lately, and that’s why we’re dedicating this issue to those plants that are much more than pretty additions to the landscape. As you’ll see in Leslie Halleck’s article on page 16, many plants’ flowers can add both flavor and pizzazz to meals; could you be supplying these chefs and consumers with the proverbial cherry on top for their culinary pursuits?

During my trip to Panama for the International Congress on Controlled Environment Agriculture last May (check out the August issue of Produce Grower for more on the event), several speakers highlighted the work being done with plants in the development of medicines and vaccines. Turn to page 20 to read more about some of the research being conducted to develop a vaccine for Ebola using plants.

Lastly, plants carry their weight in cleaning power as well. Find out how one grower in Ohio has been utilizing plants to clean up a contaminated area on page 24.

How have you seen plants used in nontraditional ways? Drop me a line at kvarga@gie.net and share your story.

Karen E. Varga, Editor
kvarga@gie.net
216-393-0290  |  Twitter: @GC_Editor