Hello, my Adam from the yard of paradise. Today I will tell you about edible flowers. So I’ve written it down to my top five favourite edible flowers, however there are loads of flowers out there that you can eat. And it’s really up to you to go and find out more about them. And see what you’ve got in your garden that you could add to your salads and your puddings. I should also add that there are flowers out there that you cannot eat so it’s worth it, I feel it’s my civic duty just to mention, don’t eat anything unless you know what it is.
Why I Chose These Flowers
So the reason I’ve chosen these five is because they are good for pollinators. They’re easy to grow from seed and they look great in your garden. So, they’re going to make really good additions to your garden. So, there’s lots of things to love about these plants.
Calendula
Number five on my list is calendula. I like to grow these flowers from seed instead of flowers. So calendula is absolutely wonderful for pollinators, it’s got lovely bright bold yellows and oranges that really adds a splash of colour to your vegetable patch and it’s got medicinal properties as well. So the cherry on the top really is that it’s edible. And apparently I’m told by chef that calendula is sometimes referred to as poor man’s saffron because it’s got that sort of quality about it and so it’s got a sort of slightly citrusy, slightly peppery, almost slightly nutmeggy flavour to it and apparently it works really well in Persian and Middle Eastern dishes. It’s a really tasty thing to add and it gives you that splash of colour.
Nasturtiums
Number four on my list is nasturtiums. Nasturtiums range in colour from yellow to really dark red and pretty much everything in between and they make for really good companion plants. so you can plant them next to squash to prevent squash beetles and they’re really good at acting as an aphid trap. So if you notice that they’re covered in aphids that’s fine because they’re basically deterring them from your other plants by being so tasty themselves. Now nasturtiums have a really strong peppery flavour so not only do they add a really big splash of colour to your food but they also add a really big kick of flavour. And they kind of can be used in the same way as rocket they can even be stuffed even though they’re not actually that big.
Borage
So number three on my list is borage. So borage is really great because it sells seeds everywhere. So think carefully before you plant it in your garden. Because you won’t be able to get rid of it, same with nasturtiums actually. But it’s really beautiful. The flowers are so delicate, really pretty little flowers you can get them in blue, pink, purple, white and all sorts of combinations of those things as well.
Now you can actually eat the leaves, the stems and the flowers on this. So, that’s a real bonus the flowers are very delicate. Because they don’t have a lot of flavor to them they can be used in a whole range of dishes but they’re best off as a garnish because they are very delicate and you can freeze them into ice cubes. You can add them to drinks and you can pop them on top of a salad but they don’t last particularly long.
Lemon Verbena
Number two on my list is lemon verbena. The reason I’ve chosen lemon verbena is because it’s absolutely delicious. It’s really lemony. A little goes a long way, you can eat the leaves and the flowers. It’s great for pollinators as well. You can eat most of the verbena flowers. If not all but some of them don’t taste great and some of them are quite bitter but lemon verbena is really tasty and as the name suggests it’s very lemony.
Violas
Number one on my list, my absolute all-time favourite edible flower is violas. People grow them in their garden simply because they are absolutely gorgeous. They deliver loads of colour. They have a really long flowering season, They’re super easy to grow and they have this beautiful cascading habit. They don’t pack a lot of flavour which actually makes them quite good as an edible flower because they can add that really pretty kick to your dishes without changing the flavour too much. So, you can add them to sweet or savoury dishes and use them on top of a dessert.
Conclusion
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