It's no longer a secret to anyone: having fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs directly in the yard is happiness! Besides being economical, growing your own garden at home allows you to eat better and locally. But to add even more punch and color to your meals, have you ever thought about planting some species whose flowers are edible? Here are some suggestions of edible flowers to cultivate:
Nasturtium
The nasturtium is a pretty colorful flower, most often red, yellow, or orange, which brings a lot of life to the garden. It is easy to grow and easily wraps around objects; you can therefore let it climb along a trellis or a fence that you want to hide. Nasturtium attracts aphids: be vigilant. It might be interesting to grow it a little further from your vegetable garden, thus protecting your other crops from the attacks of this harmful insect.
All parts of this plant can be eaten and add a lovely peppery flavor to your dishes:
● Flowers
Add them to your salads or finely chop them to flavor butter, a sauce, or a vinaigrette. Pick the flowers early in the morning when they are not yet fully open.
● Leaves
With their taste similar to watercress, you can easily replace the lettuce in sandwiches or burgers with nasturtium leaves.
● Seeds and buds
If you like capers, you will appreciate the still green and tender seeds and the flower buds of the nasturtium. Preserve them in vinegar with some aromatics.
Garden Phlox
The star-like flowers of phlox with soft and warm colors are not only magnificent, but they are also delicious! Quite easy to grow, phlox is covered with a multitude of flowers that you can admire and consume.
Only the flowers are eaten, which have a taste both sweet and slightly spicy. They add pep to your summer fruit salads and add color to presentation plates.
Marigold
Marigolds have a very pronounced smell that could discourage some. However, their beautiful yellow or orange flowers certainly bring sunshine to your yard. Moreover, they are a natural repellent for certain pests like nematodes and attract pollinators. Insert them into the vegetable garden, and you will be happy with the result.
It is the petals of the marigold that are eaten. They are mainly used to color and flavor savory dishes, rice, or others, a bit like saffron would, without the exorbitant price, of course. Calendula can also play this role of "poor man's saffron."
Pansy
Pansies are flowers with a thousand colors found almost everywhere in landscaping. They are easy plants that bloom from spring to autumn and often even for two consecutive years. Are you looking for a particular color? You are almost guaranteed to find it!
It is the pansy flowers that are consumed. They have a mentholated taste that is very interesting in cocktails, desserts, and fruit and vegetable salads. Dried, they can be used in infusion. It is better to avoid cooking them, as they do not tolerate heat well and lose their interest. Glaze the flowers with egg white and sugar to crystallize them. You can then use them as decoration on your cakes and impress your guests!
Scarlet Monarda
With its beautiful bright red spiky flowers, this magnificent perennial, although potentially a bit invasive, is superb in flower beds and mass plantings. Additionally, the flowers can be used with a lemony taste comparable to bergamot in our favorite recipes. The pink-colored Monarda fistulosa is also edible. Its taste is comparable to oregano, but more intense.
You can use monarda flowers to flavor and add a nice touch of color to butter and cream cheese. Chopped, they will wonderfully flavor vegetables, fish, and grilled meats. You can also add them to your favorite drinks or salads for even more freshness. Just like the pansy, the flowers crystallize very well with sugar: a guaranteed wow effect!
Many other plants have flowers that can be consumed: zucchinis, daylilies, roses, borage, etc. But beware, not all flowers are edible, and some can even be toxic to humans. Check with your Passion Jardins gardening advisor to ensure you can consume your flowers without fear. Also, be very attentive to the growing conditions of your plants; we wouldn't want to consume flowers that have been treated with pesticides.
Bon appétit!
Tips and advice
