Edible Blooms: Flowers that should be in your garden for you to enjoy and eat

Are you looking for creative ways to spruce up your recipes from your garden?

Ever wondered if you could use your creative insights and add colorful blooms to your culinary delights? I won't be surprised if you are unaware that blooms can be of great use in your meals. Trust me, for hundreds of years, edible flowers have served the purpose of beautifying spaces and enhancing the flavor of our food. They don't just add color and beauty to the dishes but also contain vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidant properties. So, if you are wondering what edible blooms are great for your health, worry not; I am here to help you. I have rounded up the list of edible blooms you can grow in your garden and quickly grab when you need to cook. 

Squash Blossoms

They are edible flowers that can be used in various dishes

They are simply flowers of summer or winter squash. Depending on your taste and what you like, you can eat them raw, fry them, bake them, or add them to dishes and soups. It is one of the coveted delicacies in some Italian cuisines, as its harvest time is brief. Just harvest the blossoms when you wish to cook and use them the very same day. Note: harvest them mid-day when they are open by cutting the stem one inch below the flower and gently rinsing them in a container of cool water.

Borage

Also known as a star flower and this fuzzy-leaf herb is fast-growing with vivid blue flowers and the flavor of cucumber.

Though it is considered a herb, it is grown as a flower in the garden, where it is a great companion to tomatoes, squash, and strawberries. Its flowers because of their unique fresh flavor are often tossed in cocktails and salads.

Nasturtium

This is my favorite flower hands down.

Don’t give me roses, give me nasturtium seeds. It is a cheerful, easy-to-grow plant that blooms for months. It has various bright colors, including bright orange, gold, and hot pink. Additionally, its unique greenery makes every garden a masterpiece. Let's think lilly pads here. Moreover, it works as a trap crop during companion planting. Usually, in most places, Nasturtium grows as an annual plant, though they also grow as perennials in frost-free regions. In terms of their edibility, the leaves and flowers have a peppery, mustard-like taste. You can even add it to salad, sauces, and dips. Also, you can stir-fry the leaves and add them to green smoothies for a savory twist. One of my favorite ways to use this bright flower is in butters for the holidays or fresh artsy breads.

Pansies

One of the popular edible flowers is pansies because you can eat the sepals, and they come in a variety of colors.

Due to their versatile nature, the cool-season flower grows in full to partial sun, making them ideal for spring and fall gardens. You can easily purchase pansies from the garden store, or begin your journey with seeds. The blooms have a mild evergreen flavor and lend themselves very well to drinks, desserts, and salads. These also make for wonderful butter decor.

Begonias

Begonias are fantastic additions to containers.

They are easy-to-grow edible flowers with a citrusy taste. They come in quite a few colors, including white, pink, orange, and red, and benefit from the indirect sun or partial shade. An amazing fact about the begonia genus is that there are over 2000 varieties, as they can hybridize each other. They are a hugely diverse group of plants, including the types of pollinators they attract.

Chamomile

They are small blooms similar to daisies and are very fragrant.

Chamomile are small blooms similar to daisies and are very fragrant. Its German type can be used in tea after drying the leaves and for medicinal purposes. Even though it is mostly used as a herb for medicinal purposes, you can still use its flowers in a dish. When fresh, it has a flavor similar to an apple making a great addition to dishes like oatmeal. I would recommend trying to grow the plant on the lawn as it is its natural habitat. 

Echinacea

Also known as coneflower are rich in antioxidants and support immunity.

These flowers make a fantastic addition to the garden as well as your kitchen. As perennials in the daisy family, it has a mounded center with petals that gently droop, and purple is the most common color. The best part? The flower is easy to grow in the garden and is a favorite amongst bee pollinators. Also, every part of this plant is edible and popularly used in tea and tinctures.

Lavender

Lavender plants with good pest control can grow anywhere from 1 to 3 feet tall and have spectacular fragrances due to the oil in the flowers.

The bushy plant sprouts stalks of tiny purple flowers. Popular varieties like Royal Velvet and Provence are classified as culinary lavender and are perfect for cooking. Therefore, pay attention when cooking, as this variety contains fewer oils compared to others. Additionally, you may want to try adding lavender to beverages like lemonade. It is ideal for food and desserts in small quantities.

LILACS

Want to give your dishes a hint of floral flavor? Try lilacs!

The beautiful plants of the olive family are safe to eat and can fill your space with strong fragrance. Many kinds of lilacs are unique in their ways, particularly the "beauty of Moscow" for its taste, color, and scent. It is one of the most well-known and most popular worldwide. The easiest way to enjoy lilacs is by infusing flowers with lilac sugar. By this, we mean using lilac sugar in recipes to flavor baked goods or any other dish you choose.

Some of the popular edible flowers we’ve mentioned can offer a unique burst of flavor and color to your dishes. And offer a gorgeous amount of color and texture to your garden while attracting an amazing set of pollinators that all kitchen gardens need. These flower blooms are deliciously appealing and add texture, beauty, and nutrients to your meals too!  However, when tending, ensure that you use the suggested fertilizers. If you use fertilizers in your garden that is. Flowers are often used to help with pest control so be sure not to use pesticides in your kitchen garden. You wouldn’t want to eat those flowers either. So best not to spray and just let the flowers do their job. It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or experienced gardener, or even whether you have containers, raised beds, or a vast garden – these blooms can easily be grown at your convenience. Simply plant and watch them bloom to their potential, ready for your next meal.

Looking for more inspiration? Don't forget to check my Instagram for the next seven days, as I will share a lot of interesting information for the Garden Theme—Edible Flowers Week.