Edible flowers Are Abundant All Year Round

Edible flowers are a hot topic at the moment and whilst I do not recommend taking risks with something new if you may have allergens and many people have pollen allergies there are many reasons for adding pretty flowers to your salads and cakes.

Above we have Irish Molly from our hybrid volas which most of us are adding to our borders for spring colour. I have been popping them in a tray on top of my aga to dry for about 20 minutes then they are perfect for decorating cakes along with sweet violets.

When I looked into it I simply could not believe how many flowers were edible. Most of us are familiar with nasturtiums in summer salads and probably calendar but the list extends so much further.

Calendula

Of course alliums from little white wild garlic ramsoms to pretty purple chives though savoury taste good. Many herbs including basil, dill, fennel, rosemary and calendula are all edible.

Ramsoms (Wild Garlic)

Some of the real sweeties would be strawberry flowers and elder-flowers.

Borage

It really is an endless list a books worth not a blog! I love the idea of borage flowers or violas in my ice cubes and dropped in my pims. Rose petals, hibiscus and elder-flower would all go beautifully in deserts like ice cream or as simple decoration.

I shall certainly try some of the different mints in teas this year and of course my favourite herb tea fennel, which I find one of the most useful and pretty herbs in my borders.

Some flowers don't taste of much like violas but  I believe they contain a fair bit of vitamin c and they are so pretty and so abundant in winter and early spring. As we head towards Easter there are lots of primroses. In summer flowers will always be abundant with elder-flower and hawthorn free for all in the hedge and annuals like calendula and borage thriving. Late summer its worth planting a few extra nasturtiums and dahlias. It does actually seem we have pretty edible flowers all year round.