This weekend I was at a wedding where on the main dinner plate were orchid flowers. My son-in-law ate the orchid flower This reminded me of the many flowers that you can eat . Edible flowers always add a third dimension not only to the dinner plate but to the herbal garden. I think people still have the notion that, "vegetables are for eating and flowers are for looking at." This is not true.
There are two flowers that are always edible. These are nasturtiums and violas. Some people call the violas by their common name - Johnny jump ups (Viola tricolor). If these are edible so are pansies and violets.
As a child I remember my grandparents often picked the zucchini flowers. Either it was breaded and eaten or even stuffed with cheese and eaten. This was a ritual in my Poppy's garden as soon as the flowers bloomed. Today it is considered a delicacy. There are many edible flowers. Even if the list below is edible you must always know if your neighbor sprayed them with any pesticides before you pick them.
Some edibles are :
Artichoke (flower bud) , Broccoli (flower buds), Cauliflower (flower buds), Caper (flower buds),Chamomile (for tea), Cannabis (flowers or buds), Chives (flowers or buds), Chrysanthemum (flower), Citrus blossoms (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit), Clover (Trifolium), Daisies (Bellis perennis quills), Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale leaves, roots, flowers, petals, buds), Daylilies (Hemerocallis buds, flowers, petals), Elderflower (blossoms for drink), Hibiscus, Honeysuckle, Jasmine (for tea),Lilac (salads), Moringa oleifera, Nasturtium (blossoms and seeds), Osmanthus fragrans (flower), Pansies (Viola x Wittrockiana flowers, petals), Pot Marigolds (Calendula officinalis petals with white heel removed), Roses (Rosa petals with white heel removed, rose hips), Sesbania grandiflora (flower), Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus buds, petals, seeds), Violet ('leaf and flowers in salads, candied flowers for pastry decoration') and Zucchini blossoms (blossoms)
Until tomorrow…