Edible flowers not only look great, adding a splash of colour to your food, but can taste great too complementing your meal. Many people are a bit wary when it comes to edible flowers, you can’t just go down and eat one of the roses in your garden, can you? Well yes, you can. 

It can be quite difficult to buy edible flowers so you will have more success trying to grow your own stash of edible blooms. Here are our top picks to spice up your meals and rival those Michelin starred chefs!

Pot Marigolds 

All of your pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis) are safe to eat. The petals have a flavour ranging from peppery to slightly bitter and can add a wonderful splash of colour to summer salads. Pot marigolds are especially easy to grow too. 

Calycanthus

Calycanthus (also known as sweetshrub) can be used to produce a delicious spice. As the plant grows, snip off twigs and allow them to dry out in the sun or in a low-temperature oven. Afterwards, crush the bark down and use it like cinnamon. 

Rose

As we said, roses are actually edible. The petals have a delicate flavour that pairs well with fruit and in fruity drinks. Rose can also be used to make jam. As a rule of thumb, if your rose smells nice it will taste nice. Don’t forget about the rosehips too, these can be used in jam or cook them with sugar for a delicious fruit snack. 

Cornflower

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) is another low maintenance delicious flower. Cornflowers are self-seeding so are very simple to grow. They have a sweet and spicy flavour, ideal for mixing with other flowers as a garnish with salads, omelettes and more. 

Primrose

Primrose (Primula vulgaris) is a popular garnish on salads to add a touch of colour and a sweet taste. Crystallizing them makes them great for use in pancakes, cakes and other desserts. It has been said the leaves of primrose have a slightly spicy flavour.

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle (Lonicera) is a more well known edible flower. The long tube-shaped flowers are sweet and pair well with desserts. You can also make a delicious tea from the leaves, buds and flowers. Depending on which species of honeysuckle you get the berries may be edible, look into it before trying though as some are poisonous to humans. 

Nasturtium 

The leaves of Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) have a peppery flavour not dissimilar to watercress. The flowers can add a hint of spice to salads and the seeds can be combined with other flowers for a great garnish. 

Dahlia

All Dahlia flowers and tubers can be eaten. They can range in flavour depending on the conditions they are grown in, they can be sweet and packed full of flavour while some can taste like apple or carrot. 

So there you have it! A few picks for edible flowers you can grow in your garden. Of course, these are just a few of the countless edible flowers out there. Why not take a look at our plant centre and pick yourself some flowers up today?