I was looking through instagram last week when I came across a beautifully golden forsythia blossom syrup from Colleen Codekas, dotted with yellow blossoms I recognized from a large shrub we have along our driveway. I had no idea it was edible until I saw Colleen’s post about it, and dove right into the recipe on her blog Grow Forage Cook Ferment (which is an AMAZING resource for gardening, seasonal recipes, herbs, and the like). I’ve been on a lemon kick lately, so I included some zest in the recipe here to add that vibrant-yet-delicate lemon flavor to the mix, and the result is a bright and springy floral syrup, adapted from Colleen’s lovely recipe.

I love how crazy bountiful the array of edible goodness from nature is—even neighborhood shrubs that you thought were just there to be pretty have healthful + flavorful benefits for you, too! It will still be a few weeks before any blossoms appear on our lilac shrubs, but I’m very excited to make more lilac syrup with them once they’re here. That syrup and this one are SUCH great additions to any tea for a touch of sweetness and a floral kick.

This past winter felt very long and isolating, so seeing the flowers opening up, the ground becoming green instead of brown, and the rainbow of plant life bursting forth all around the city feels so, so good to see. The longer days and sunshine sure are helping with the happy vibes floating around our household, too! It’s been so nice to be able to sit near the living room window and knit with just the natural daylight pouring through until 7 pm. What a treat!

I hope you’re enjoying the spring so far, and that this lovely forsythia syrup recipe gives you something fun to do with the bright and sunshine-y forsythia blossoms in your own backyard 🙂 And P.S. If you’re wondering about the adorable tiny daffodils in the frame, they’re a new variety I planted this past fall and I am OBSESSED with them! They’re called ‘avalanche’ and I got them from Old House Gardens—they are sooooo fragrant and each stem sends out a spray of tiny, delicate, vibrant blossoms. They’re highly productive, and I definitely recommend them!