Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Edible Flowers

Many of the flowers in our garden are edible flowers and used by the tea room. Peonies are edible although it is a mouth full of flowers! Sometimes Sweet Remembrances will use a peony blossom in with a lettuce salad for fun and color and mild, slightly bitter flavor. Many of the summer annuals are edible. These are double impatiens (above) don't they look like sweet little rosebuds? And these are single impatiens (below). Impatiens like to be planted in a shady area. Petunias are fun to fill with dips or spreads -- who needs crackers?
The tangerine gem marigold (below) gives a lovely citrus flavor and the flowers are a nice size to use as a garnish on tea sandwiches. Gently remove the petals from the blossom, and toss with egg salad for a delicate floral enhancement to your sandwich.
All marigolds are edible, but we caution our guests that they taste exactly like they smell.
Dianthus, another favorite to use as an edible flower, comes in a wide variety of colors from red, purple, pink, fuchsia, white and more.
And of course all the herb blossoms are edible and quite flavorful. Not one is allowed to go to waste!
Chive blossoms are perfect to snip into a salad and sageis lovely too. But Rosemary, lavendar, savory, thyme, garlic chives and more are all used.
This is just a taste of some of the edible flowers, there are many others: roses, pansies, lilacs, day lilies, to name a few. Of course, they must all be pesticide free and bug free!

4 comments:

Bernideen said...

I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT EDIBLE FLOWERS ALL WEEK. I am always trying to learn more! You are a wonderful source of information and teaching!

Donna and Miss Spenser said...

I had no idea peonies were edible! Mine are bursting forth this week! Thanks for sharing...Donna

Flowers said...

Thanks for the tour! It gave me an idea on how to intermingle edible and ornamental plants next year.

Marilyn Miller said...

I always learn about more edible flowers from you. I have petunia's and nastursium's growing for summer salads. My freckled violets are now bloomed out, but were fun to use on tea sandwiches for my aunts birthday party.