Edible Flowers 101 The Best Blooms to Start Your Edible Flower Garden

Growing flowers will always be a rewarding experience — it completes your landscape, beautifies your home, helps the environment, and is a great means of exercise. Even better, you can add it to your diet and reap a wealth of benefits for your health! It might seem like a weird idea, but edible flowers are the new rage in Haute cuisine and can add elegance to any dish. If you grow them in your backyard, it doesn’t have to be an expensive experience.

Before we delve deeper into your starter pack, here are a few important things to note when it comes to eating flowers:

• Avoid foraging as flowers on the roadside could have been treated with pesticides. If it’s a spray-free area, wash thoroughly.
• Stick to tried and true delicious favorites, don’t take risks. Some can be poisonous so make sure you have identified the right species before you eat it.
• Only eat petals unless you know the plant is edible.
• Eat small amounts at first to avoid allergic reactions. If you have hay fever, you may also be sensitive to flowers.

Here are our top five favourites if you want to add flowers in your garden that not only look good but taste good too:

Violas (Violaceae)

Also known as garden pansy, sweet violets, or simply violets. Although the name makes you think of just one color, this edible flower also blooms in white, blue, yellow, and cream and is packed with Vitamin C!’

infographic for violas edible flowersinfographic for violas edible flowersBorage (Borago officinalis)

Also called starflower, bee plant, common-bugloss, or beebread. It is also considered a culinary herb since ancient times and is still one of the most sought-after in Mediterranean households. The leaves are famous for salsa verde, but even the flowers make a scrumptious addition to anything

Marigold (Tagetes)

All marigold flowers are edible, but not all are tasty! For best flavours, grow the French (T. patula), Gem (T. tenuifolia), or Mexican mint (T. lucida) species. Only the petals are edible.

Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)

Also called capuchina, it ranks among the most common edible flowers. It is also one of the easiest to grow and sometimes considered as weeds, but it is a trailing type plant that’s sure to cheer any scenery with its brightly colored blooms!

Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis / sabdariffa)

A favourite in tropical gardens and traditional landscapes for their summer-loving, large, vibrant flowers. It’s been enjoyed since ancient times and is a really flavourful addition to your edible garden!

If you’re interested in having 101 more options to choose from, Gaia’s organic gardens have made a list of edible flowers you can use for your next recipe.

Make it extra special by setting it up in your lovely yard — have a candlelight dinner with your sweetheart, eat with the family, or chill with your friends. Experiment with your new-found hobby and leave the hard work of keeping your lawns perfect for any occasion to Fresh Lawns! With our vetted lawn professionals, easy online booking, dedicated customer service, and 100% happiness guarantee, you can rest easy!

Get a free quote in less than 60 seconds online.