September 26, 2014
“T'is the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone.”
–Thomas Moore, 1779-1852
The ‘Prospero’ rose in my streetside garden shares a few final blooms as September wanes. It’s time to try rose petal ice cubes before the last petals flutter to the ground.
I came upon the idea at Gardenista.
It’s pretty simple. Just fill the ice cube trays one-third full with water and freeze.
For perfectly clear ice cubes use distilled water. I boiled and cooled water to drive off the air but the cubes didn’t have the clarity I hoped for.
Once frozen, layer in pesticide free rose petals or miniature roses. Then cover with water to fill two-thirds full and freeze again.
Trapped in the ice layer, the rose petals won’t float and you can fill with water to the top.
The rose petal ice cubes were a pleasant addition to some sparkling water this afternoon.
I’ll leave to your imagination how else you could use them.
You might also enjoy these posts which feature my rose petals:
Tomorrow, I’ll pick the last rose and dry the petals in my car. Can you imagine how lovely it will be to drive home in a rose-scented car?
(See my earlier post, Drying Chili Peppers in My Car in A Heat Wave).