Growing Edible Flowers, Who Knew?!

SWIHA Externship: 3 hrs.




I've enjoyed peppery nasturtiums before and even made aromatic lavender cookies (which were delicious!) after being inspired by a friend. But this year I decided I wanted to add more flowers to my garden, namely edible flowers. Upon doing some research, I was blown away and very excited to begin my task of adding more flower food crops to my landscape! I was even more happy to find out that many edible flowers on my new list are already in my garden. I guess my laziness to pull the arugula out and let it flower was actually my subconscious mind leading me to another food discovery!


Here's the list of flowers in my garden including the ones I planted after finding out they were edible!
- Arugula, Chives, Calendula, Dandelion, Comfrey, Dill, Lavender, Nasturtium, Oregano, Sugar Snap Pea, Pink Rose, Gladiola, Violet, Echinacea, Day Lillies, Thyme, Red Clover


I also found some wild native plants on our land that carry edible flowers:
 - Wild Rose  - Siberian Miners Lettuce  - Wild violet   - Tigerlilly  - Thimbleberry   - Wild Strawberry  - Chickweed  - Fireweed   - Oxeye Daisy   - St. John's Wort




List of Edible Flowers
- Arugula     - Borage     -Calendula     - Dandelion     -Squash     -Chamomile     - Chives
- Broccoli     -Bee Balm     - Comfrey     - Dill     -Gladiolas     -Hollyhock     -Lavender
-Pink & Purple Mallow     - Nasturtiums     -Oregano     -Oxalis     -Oxeye Daisy    
-Sugar Snap Pea     -Evening Primrose     -Pink & White Rose     -Sage Bergamot     -St John's Wort
- Sweet Rocket     -Thistle     -Violet     -Echinacea     -Marigold     -Chicory      - Bachelors Buttons
-Dahlia     -Garlic     -Orchid     -Snap Dragon     -Day Lillies     - Red Clover     -Coriander
- Cornflower      -Fennel      -Fuchsia     - Geranium     - Jasmine     - Phlox    - Impatiens     - Thyme  




Before consuming flowers off the awesome list I have constructed,  please follow these safety tips for flower consumption that I got from another blog.

Eating Flowers Safely

So. As lovely as eating flowers can be, it can also be a little … deadly! Not to scare you off or anything. Follow these tips for eating flowers safely:

• Eat flowers you know to be consumable — if you are uncertain, consult a reference book on edible flowers and plants.
• Eat flowers you have grown yourself, or know to be safe for consumption. Flowers from the florist or nursery have probably been treated with pesticides or other chemicals.
• Do not eat roadside flowers or those picked in public parks. Both may have been treated with pesticide or herbicide, and roadside flowers may be polluted by car exhaust.
• Eat only the petals, and remove pistils and stamens before eating.
• If you suffer from allergies, introduce edible flowers gradually, as they may exacerbate allergies.
• To keep flowers fresh, place them on moist paper towels and refrigerate in an airtight container. Some will last up to 10 days this way. Ice water can revitalize limp flowers. 

- http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/42-flowers-you-can-eat.html