For salad greens: In a large bowl of cold water, add the salad greens. After a few minutes, lift the greens out and discard the water. Dunk the greens again, if needed, to remove any dirt or sand particles. Drain the greens in a colander.

Place the greens on a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels; gently pat dry. (Or use a salad spinner. Place the greens in the basket and turn the handle to spin the greens dry.) Wrap dried greens in a dry kitchen towel or paper towels; refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to several hours to crisp.

For vinaigrette: In a screw-top jar, combine the olive oil, vinegar, tarragon, marjoram, chives, and garlic. Cover; shake well to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. (Or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving; shake well.)

For edible flowers: Gently wash the flowers in water. Drain; place on paper towels and let air-dry or gently blot dry. Use immediately.

To serve, arrange the greens on a large serving platter or in a salad bowl. Arrange edible flowers on top of greens. Shake the vinaigrette well; drizzle desired amount over the salad. Toss gently to coat. Serve immediately. Pass additional vinaigrette, if you like. Cover and store any remaining vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving; shake well. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

The best edible flowers are unsprayed blossoms from your own garden. You also can find edible flowers in the produce section of some supermarkets, local herb gardens, and some restaurant or produce suppliers, and mail-order outlets. Use flowers that have been grown without the use of pesticides or other chemicals. Don't use flowers from florist shops -- they're usually treated with chemicals.