The Best Edible Flowers (And How to Grow Them)
Make your next meal (or cocktail) look as pretty as it tastes with edible flowers
Bring blossoms to the table — not in a vase but on a plate. Here are seed expert Renee Shepherd’s picks of some pretty, easy-to-grow flowers that are good enough to eat, along with some tips on how to grow and prepare them.
Native Poppy’s Natalie Gill styles a beautiful charcuterie board with breads, cheeses, meats, olives and flowers. Read more about Natalie’s love for every day flowers here.
Note: Only eat flowers positively identified as safe and edible; some are poisonous. Try edible flowers in small quantities first in case of allergies.
Squash blossoms
Zucchini or summer squash blossoms are delicious stuffed and fried, or presented fresh as an adornment.
Save space or plant in containers by growing one of the new compact squash varieties (such as “Gold Rush,” “Sundance,” and more).
If you plan to continue to grow squash, be sure to harvest primarily the male blossoms (identified by their thinner, bulge-free stems), leaving just a few to pollinate.
Nasturtiums
Chop and mix the colorful, peppery flowers with salad greens or garnish grilled fish.
Wash nasturtiums carefully to dislodge hidden insects.
Rose petals
Garden-party pretty, they dress up dips, fruit salads, cakes and other desserts. In general, a strong scent equals strong flavor.
Trim the bitter white tip off petals before using.
Calendula petals
Delicate with peppery cucumber flavors, orange petals brighten egg and cheese dishes and spice up rice dishes and breads.
Sow calendula seeds directly in the ground if there’s no risk of frost, or grow indoors or in containers. Calendula, which are naturally insect-repellant, are are great companion plants for pest control.
Share Your #GardenHacks!
We are celebrating the fine art of the garden hack all week. Watch our Instagram (and #gardenhacks) for some tried and true time-saving, gear-saving and/or money-saving tricks for all things gardening related! AND, most importantly: show us yours!
