How to Grow Edible Flowers in Your Kitchen Garden

Ready to elevate your garden and plate? Grow some edible flowers in your kitchen garden!  Who wouldn’t want to transform a traditional veggie patch into a vibrant haven of edible blooms?! 

Some perks growing edible flowers include:

• Attracting pollinators benefits your whole garden.

• Adding an element of elegance and pops of color.

• Unique flavors and visual twists to your garden-to-table meals.

How to Use Edible Flowers

Never eaten a flower before? Edible flowers have a wide range of flavors from sweet to bitter. So you might need to do some taste testing before adding just any edible flower to a dish! Make sure you choose a flower that complements the flavor profile of your recipe.

Edible flowers are delicious and beautiful in salads, drinks, baked goods, and as a garnish on desserts, soups, and other culinary creations. They add an extra level of aesthetic beauty to any dish, and will draw the eye of any dinner guests you invite over. 

Why You Should Add Edible Flowers to Your Diet

Just like garden-grown veggies, edible flowers offer nutritional values and medicinal compounds. The natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in flowers make them a nutritional powerhouse. Beautiful, delicious, and healthy? Say no more. Make sure you use organic and pesticide-free growing practices to maximize the health benefits.

But remember, not all flowers are edible. And some flowers are downright unsafe to eat. So  make sure you do your research. In fact, I suggest determining what you think you will use flowers for in the kitchen, and then deciding what variety you want to grow from there. 

How to Harvest and Preserve

When harvesting your edible flowers, use a gentle touch. Flowers should be used directly after harvesting for the best flavor and texture, but they can last a few days in your fridge, too. To preserve the delicate shape and appearance of the flowers, store them on a slightly damp paper towel in the refrigerator. If you need to, use a light flow of cold water to wash off any dirt or debris before use. 

My Favorite Flowers to Grow in a Kitchen Garden

Nasturtium

Slightly peppery flavor. Perfect for salads, garnishes on your plate, or adding color to other dishes.

Calendula aka Pot Marigold

Slightly spicy and tangy flavor. Use in soups, stews, salads, teas, or as a substitute for saffron.

Lavender

Intensely sweet floral flavor. Use lavender flowers baked in scones, candied for cakes, or to dress up salad. Lavender is also great infused in beverages like tea, lemonade, and mocktails. 

Roses  

Certain varieties are edible with a floral flavor. Rose water and rose syrup are commonly used to add a floral flavor to desserts and drinks.

Bee Balm 

Citrusy flavor. Infuse into simple syrups or add to green salads or fruit salads.

Chive blossoms

Mild onion flavor. Great for salads, infusing oils, salad dressings or as a garnish. Chive blossom infused vinegar is the prettiest pale pink!

Pansies & Violas

Mild sweet flavor. Often used in salads, decorations on cake, pastries, or garnishing a plate.

Zinnia

Although a tad bitter, you can add the petals to a salad. Remove the petals from the seed.

Mexican Mint Marigold

Used to brew flavorful teas. This plant isn't just a pretty aromatic herb -- it also packs a potent medicinal punch.

Squash Blossoms

Squash blossoms are coveted delicacies because their harvest time is brief. The flowers can be fried, stuffed and baked, or added to pasta dishes and soups. Use blossoms the same day you harvest them. 

Chamomile

I think everyone has heard of chamomile tea! G

Loveage

A celery-like flavor. Use the leaves for tea, but add the flowers to salads or soups. 

Borage

This little-known herb has edible leaves and beautiful blue flowers. Finely chop the leaves and add to salads for a light cucumber taste.

If you need a little support with integrating edible flowers into your garden, book a coaching call.

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