Q. Are roses edible? If yes, then which type of rose has the best taste and what do they taste like? How are the petals used? Are they eaten raw or cooked? I do hope they taste good so that I can justify buying some more rose plants, to my husband, when they come into the market again next winter.

A. All rose petals, provided they are totally free of chemical contamination, are edible. Pink, white and red roses tend to taste better than yellow and orange ones, although this is a matter of personal opinion. Fragrant roses also have a much pleasanter taste than non-fragrant varieties. Strongly perfumed rose petals can be used to make jam and syrups/sherbet, as a cake and biscuit ingredient, in cold summer soups, in salads, in ice cream and other sweet-making, and also on sandwiches. Rosehips — the seed heads — can also be dried and used in making a tea.

Q. What flowering plants can I grow in my small garden or find in the nurseries in Karachi that I can use to make flower tea? I recently got a chance to drink Turkish flower tea and have become a huge fan of that. Now I want to grow my own flowers. 

A. Many different species of flowers are used in the brewing of herbal teas. The most commonly used ones in Turkey are hibiscus, linden blossom, chamomile, jasmine, calendula, rose petals and unopened rosebuds. With the exception of linden blossom, all are simple to grow in Karachi. Other flowers used for tea include the gorgeous bright blue ones of Butterfly pea vine — Clitoria ternatea — that is common in Karachi gardens, passion flowers, chrysanthemums, globe amaranth, lavender, borage, rosemary, orange blossom, lemon blossom and nasturtium. Only use flowers that can be 100 percent confirmed as being totally chemical free and from a garden where no chemicals, in any shape or form, have been used.

Q. I want to grow a selection of herbs for making my own herb tea and would like to know which herbs are easy to grow, in Islamabad, for this purpose.

A. Sage — Salvia officinalis — oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemongrass, borage, all kinds of mint, lemon balm, lemon verbena, rosemary, lavender, Italian parsley, cilantro, fennel, aniseed and various flavours of basil are all useful for herbal tea making and can be grown seasonally in Islamabad. You can also grow some flowers for herbal teas as mentioned in the previous answer.

All your gardening queries answered here

Q. I planted basil seeds — Ocimum basilicum — about a month ago but nothing has germinated. I have tried to germinate basil many times over the last few months, but nothing has come up. What should I do now? I live in Larkana, Sindh.

A. Basil seed is sown just under the surface of good quality, well-draining, compost in seed trays/ pots placed in very light shade. The compost should be kept damp but not wet; otherwise the seeds will rot. Germination failure is usually because of one of the following reasons: bad or expired seed, seed sown too deep, lack of water, too much water or poor soil/ compost. I suggest that you wait until after the summer monsoons, purchase fresh seed and try again.

Q. I grew my sapodilla — cheeku — from a cutting and it is growing well and developing new leaves and buds in District Central, Karachi. The problem, in the past, has been that the flower buds fall off instead of fruiting. Now I’m afraid that this will happen again.

A. The most common reason for sapodilla flower drop is lack of water. Increase the amount of water given to the tree and water it at least three times a week, from early spring through until fruit harvest is over. The tree needs less water in the winter months.

Q. I want information about growing oud/ agarwood in Pakistan.

A. This is arguably one of the most expensive types of wood in the world but, while it is indigenous and cultivated in a neighbouring country, our climate is not tropical enough for the tree species to thrive.

Q. Two months ago, I planted some pieces of ginger root in my garden in Defence Phase 5, Karachi. The plants are growing well and are making lots of healthy leaves. I need to know how long will it be before I can expect to harvest fresh roots from them.

A. Ginger needs a growing season of 8-10 months. Depending on soil nutrition, you may get a harvest towards the end of the year. Carefully, so as not to damage the roots, dig up just one plant first and see if the root is of a good size. If so, fine and well. If not, leave the plants in place and undisturbed until autumn next year.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 25th, 2021