Edible flowers are perfect for adding color to your dishes, drinks and flower beds during the summer season. Annual flowers have the great advantage of blooming all summer, unlike perennials which only bloom at a given time, but which grow back on their own year after year.
Annual edible flowers:
-Nasturtium ( Tropaeolum majus )
The nasturtium is very versatile, all its parts can be eaten: the buds, the leaves, the flowers and even the seeds. It has a strong taste reminiscent of watercress. The seeds are even more pungent, reminiscent of wasabi. You can use the buds to make capers, the leaves to make butter, the flowers in salads or in ice cubes, and the seeds like pepper to season your dishes.
-Geranium ( Pelargonium sp. )
It is a very aromatic flower with a fruity taste. It is used as a garnish, in ice cubes and in lemonade.
-Verbena ( Verbena sp. )
The flowers are eaten as a garnish. They can be dried to make herbal teas, but care must be taken, they should not be consumed in large quantities or by pregnant or breastfeeding women because of their medicinal properties. It is known to help relieve stomach problems and migraines.
-Borage ( Borago officinalis )
The taste of the flower is reminiscent of cucumber. It can be used fresh in salads, in spring rolls or in ice cubes. It also makes excellent herbal teas once dried.
-Snapdragon ( Antirrhinus majus )
The flower has a fairly strong scent with a slightly bitter taste. It can be eaten as a garnish or candied. The snapdragon tolerates partial shade well.
-Begonia ( Begonia gr. Semperflorens )
A flower with an acidic taste and crunchy texture, it is excellent as a condiment or to accompany desserts. You can make a very fragrant jelly with fresh flowers. The begonia tolerates partial shade well.
Marigolds ( Callendula Officinalis )
Marigolds have a slightly peppery taste. They are eaten in salads and as a garnish, as well as in herbal tea once dried. You can also make capers with its flower buds.
Perennial edible flowers:
-Hosta ( Hosta sp.) Flowers July to August
The flowers have a taste somewhat reminiscent of iceberg lettuce. They are delicious in salads, you can also fry or marinate them, because they are not too fragile. Young hosta shoots can also be eaten in spring, raw or sautéed, they are reminiscent of endive. Later in the summer, the leaves are still edible, but become tougher and bitter as the season progresses. Hostas grow well in the shade.
-Daylily ( Hemerocallis sp.) Flowers July to August
Their taste is light and their texture crunchy. They produce very solid petals, perfect for stuffing like endive. They can also be eaten fried or in salads. Dried pistils can be used to flavor dishes and sauces. Just like hostas, you can eat the young shoots in spring, they are reminiscent of leeks with a light taste. In Japan, it is cultivated as a vegetable. You have to be careful where you plant the daylily, especially the tawny one, because it can quickly become invasive in a flower bed.
-Hollyhock ( Alcea Rosea ) Flowering August
Its taste is not very pronounced, it is very mild. Its large flowers can be stuffed or used in salads. You can also eat the flower buds.
-Monarda ( Mornarda didyma or Mornarda fistulosa ) Flowering July to August
It has a tangy taste reminiscent of lemon or bergamot. The leaves and flowers are edible; fresh they add a nice acidity to summer dishes and drinks, and dried they make a delicious herbal tea. You can also make butter with its leaves and crystallize its flowers.
Lavender ( Lavendula angustifolia ) Flowers late June to early August
Lavender has a very pronounced floral taste, so it should be used sparingly. It can be used fresh or dried, mainly to make desserts: cookies, crème brûlées or syrups for example. It can also flavor salad dressings and oils.
Annuals or perennials, depending on the variety
- Pansy ( Viola sp. )
Very sweet, it has a slight sweet and sour, slightly minty taste. Its shape and bright colors always amaze. Ideal in salads, on desserts, in ice cubes and candied in sugar. It can also be dried to consume it as a herbal tea. It tolerates being grown in partial shade well.
-Carnation ( Dianthus sp. ) Flowering June to July
Very fragrant, the carnation flower has a taste slightly reminiscent of nutmeg. It can be eaten in salad, as a garnish, in lemonade or candied.
Choose natural products for anything edible. We recommend using fertilizers made from chicken manure. If you have insect problems, you can try a simple spray of water or use black soap.
Happy gardening and happy tasting!
