Edible flowers in my garden
Update: We have launched our "Show Us Your Garden Photos" community feature this week and our garden devotees are giving us glorious images. Please join in the fun!
I love using edible flowers in my culinary creations. They add a bit of color and interesting flavor additions. Plus, they make for pretty and unusual garnishes. People have been enjoying edible flowers for thousands of years. The Romans were fond of violets, and mallow. Daylily buds have long been popular in Asian cuisine. Squash blossoms have always been favored by the Italian and Hispanic cultures. And in India, rose petals are used extensively as a garnish and flavoring.
Of course, it’s important to know which flowers are safe to eat and to only pick those that have not been sprayed with any kind of chemical. Here are some edible blooms that we grow in the vegetable garden.
These are calendula flowers – they have a little spicy and pungent flavor and some people use the petals in place of saffron.
These happy flowers are nasturtiums – they taste sort of peppery and are wonderful in green salads.
These pretty blue flowers are borage. The green leaves taste like
cucumber and are used in the traditional recipe for Pimm’s Cup. The
flowers have a sweet honey-like flavor and make a lovely garnish for
cold drinks and desserts.
Pretty little chamomile blooms – these flowers taste sweet and fruity
and are used extensively in herbal teas. Chamomile has a calming
effect on the digestive tract and is thought to help with sleep.
Miniature marigold blooms taste spicy and pungent.
This bee is really enjoying these basil flowers. Depending on the
variety, basil flowers can taste lemony or minty. They’re great with
sliced tomatoes.
Our garden intern, George, used these fresh-as-can-be ingredients in a
beautiful gardeners’ luncheon salad – mesclun mix, red carrots, yellow
beets, fennel bulb, mache, claytonia, and calendula flowers.
George also added grilled salmon (dinner leftovers) and raspberries
from the berry patch. He dressed it with a balsamic-maple syrup
vinaigrette and I’m told it was delicious and satisfying. You can see
how pretty the calendula petals look.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
WOW! What a treat for the eyes as well as the palate!
Question: isn't calendula marigold?
Posted by: Lisa Wiley | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Mmm, I love fresh basil! I'm hoping to get a bunch of it growing on my porch so I can grab some whenever I need it for cooking.
Posted by: Marie | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I've not been brave enough to try edible flowers as of yet but am now inspired to give it a go. Thank you for the great pics and information!
Posted by: Michaele | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Your garden pictures are always so beautiful. They inspire me to up the ante in my garden. That salad looks amazing too. I want to try a version of it for dinner tonight.
Posted by: Abby | July 22nd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I love edible flowers! I grew nasturtiums last year and they actually did quite well, even in the Texas heat. I usually pinch off the basil blooms to encourage more leafing...next time I will put them in my salad. Another yummy flower is chive blossoms.
Posted by: Pam | July 22nd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Hi Martha, Thanks for another beautiful, delicious looking blog. The only flowers I have that are edible are nasturtiums. The weather has been so unstable this year that I only have a few buds so far. If and when they bloom, I am certainly going to try them in a salad. I love George's fantastic looking salad. Once again, your photos are stunning. Thanks again for sharing. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | July 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Nibbling on nasturtiums---peppery and delicious!
And so easy to grow.
Posted by: MMC in San Diego | July 22nd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Dear Martha,
Summer "Garden Greetings" from Northeast Harbor. Once again, you have outdone yourself with your wonderful and informative blog (and incredible photography). Thanks so very much for sharing!!
As for the "edible flowers" ... I just don't have the heart to (especially with my first balcony garden --- inspired by you, of course) to snip some of my fanciful nasturtiums or the pansies with their sometimes seemingly happy and whimsical faces (lol) which often (along with the hummingbirds whose fledgling babies are now dive-bombing each other in competition for the abundant nectar) keep me company here on my apartment balcony. Perhaps I'll have the courage to add a few of the "unhappy and frowning ones" in with my garden salad next year!
Once again, thank you (and your wonderful and creative staff there at MSLO) so very much for inspiring me (always on a daily basis) and for all the "good things" that you so graciously and freely impart and share with us all! Have a wonderful summer!
Cheers,
Bill
Northeast Harbor, Maine
Posted by: Bill (Mount Desert Island, Maine) | July 22nd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Do you rinse the flowers off? We have so many grasshoppers I know I would find one doing a belly stroke in my borage enhanced tea. At the same time it would seem the rinsing would damage the integrity of the petal.
Posted by: Margie | July 22nd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Some are too pretty to eat.
Posted by: Kudzu Fire | July 22nd, 2008 at 7:20 pm
What a beautiful edible garden. I want to press some pansies this winter and use them on cakes and cupcakes. I've seen you do that! I am going over right now to take a look at---Show us your garden photos. That sounds fun.
Posted by: Anna | July 23rd, 2008 at 1:29 am
Hi Martha, I enjoy reading your blog and your pictures are beautiful. I had no idea you can eat marigold blooms. No wonder the Japanese Beetles love them too!
Posted by: Louise | July 23rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Hi Martha- This is my favorite post yet, the colors are so bright! Today I was given Calendual seeds so it is good to know about them. I like your emphasis on educating. You go Martha.
Posted by: Jennifer Fancher | July 24th, 2008 at 4:53 am
Hi, Martha,
Thanks for the garden tour! What beautiful flowers. I can imagine they must be tasty, too. I love fried squash---and pumpkin---flowers. I'll have to try some of the others. George's salad does look delicious.
Kathy
Posted by: Kathy | July 24th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Those are just beautiful and a feast for both the eyes and stomach!
We love eating our edible herb flowers, especially basil flowers. They make for some of the most beautiful garnishes and their concentrated flavors are just wonderful in dishes.
Posted by: White On Rice Couple | July 26th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Hi Martha
I planted Lavender and I really don't know how or when to harvest it and should I cut it back in the fall
Thanks for any info on this subjects
Cheryl Courier
In Michigan
Posted by: Cheryl Courier | August 1st, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I like to add nasturtiums (and the leaves) to a jar of applecider vinegar and sit in the fridge for a month....so tasty and pretty too!
Posted by: Julie | August 26th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Wonderful post. I have recently hosted a tea party where all of the food was made from flowers, especially lavender. Roses and elderflower featured heavily too. It should be an English lavender, a variety such as Hidcote is good. It should be harvested when the buds are opening and cut back to the new growth in fall. Martha, I would be happy to send the full menu and details because I know that you could make something stunning from it.
Posted by: stencil helen | August 26th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I just read that Hibiscus flowers are good to make tea with...I have a couple drying and plan on trying some tea. Anyone else heard of this?thanks, Martha, keep up the good work.
Angela from NJ
Posted by: Angela | September 7th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Martha,
I loved seeing your gardens and all their beauty - especially when you had your season premiere show this past week. Mostly envious as presently I am coping with a bunny problem and did not plant some of my favorites this season, sadly. Noticed your fencing around your vegetable garden - tall to keep the deer out - and at the same time so attractive!!! Any thought about marketing different height versions at Loew's??? The bunny height and the deer height....That would be a good thing - actually a great thing!
I have a surburban lot and need something to do the job and look attractive as I see it from the kitchen and dining room windows. You are the expert at that! And thank you for all the sharing you do - plus the laughter! Your show is a real treat to watch.
Deb.... along the Mohawk River with the bunnies........
Posted by: Deb | September 22nd, 2008 at 4:13 am
Those beautiful flowers in your garden is amazing and wonderful, how i wish i take some of your flowers (just kidding). I love flowers and i love Edible flowers. By the way thanks to you to show your garden photos.
Posted by: Bouquet for Wedding in Philippines | March 18th, 2009 at 10:23 pm