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Edible Flowers from the Herb Garden

© Connie Krochmal

In most herb gardens, there are a number of plant species with edible flowers. Blossoms can really add a lot of zesty color and flavor to an otherwise ordinary meal. Typically, these are used in salads as well as for garnish and flavorings.

While some species of garden plants have edible flowers, others have toxic blooms. Be careful what you eat. Eat only those that you know to be safe. If you are in doubt, check a reputable gardening book or cookbook, such as "Recipes from a Kitchen Garden," which was published by Renee's Garden Seeds.

Among the poisonous flowers are several that you might find in herb gardens, such as foxgloves.

If you do plan on harvesting edible flowers from your garden, avoid the use of chemical pesticides. By the way, this includes both fungicides and insecticides. The exceptions are non-toxic ones, such as insecticidal soap. Before using these natural controls, check the label to see how many days prior to harvest these can be used.

There are a great number of species with edible flowers. Let's look at some that are typically grown as herbs in the home landscape. Roses are a wonderful example. Rose blossoms can be used both fresh and dried. They are often used for decorating cakes and the like. Depending on the rose variety, the flavor can range from mildly sweet to very sweet and fragrant.

Dame's rocket, which is often called sweet rocket, is a biennial. It is sometimes grown in herb gardens. Their flower spikes are edible, and have a mild flavor. I like to leave some of the spikes undisturbed so the mature seed pods can be used as a spice. This plant is a relative of the radish, so one can see why they might taste spicy.

Different kinds of pinks are often seen in herb gardens. So far as edible ones are concerned, the perennials are recommended. Clove pinks, a relative of the common carnation, are particularly sweet and flavorful.

Both anise hyssop and lavender bear edible blossoms. The former will be slightly spicy flavored. Anise hyssop reseeds readily, so I like to leave enough flowers to produce seeds. Technically, this plant is considered a perennial, but it can often be short lived. For that reason, I allow it to self sow. Regarding lavender, these flowers have a tangy taste. Some people find they're rather strong-flavored, preferring to use them in moderation.

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