Edible flowers are such a great addition to the veg patch. They’ll provide beautiful flowers all summer, for you and the bees to enjoy. Here’s a quick guide to growing them and using them in your cooking…
Calendula & Marigolds
- These plants are well suited to beds and borders in full sun or partial shade. You can grow in pots too, but choose a wider, deeper pot (or a window box) as the flowers can grow quite tall.
- You can happily dot these in and around veg or other flowers, they add a good splash of colour and will attract pollinators.
- Plant 20cm apart
- Keep them watered during dry spells, other than that they are fairly self-sufficient
- They will self-seed easily, so either leave flowers to go to seed if you are happy for them to spread in the borders, or keep dead-heading right through to the end of autumn. The seed heads are quite sticky/sappy, so wear gloves when you are deadheading them.
- Harvest flowers in the morning and use petals only to sprinkle into salads, rice dishes, pasta etc.
- The flowers will also last several days in a vase so are good for cutting.
Viola
- These can be grown in pots, borders, hanging baskets and beds
- Give them plenty of compost when planting to keep them well nourished
- Plant 20cm apart in full sun or partial shade
- Keep them watered during dry spells, and watch out for slugs and snails which will eat the flowers
- Deadhead often to keep them flowering for longer
- Harvest flowers in the morning (when they are just opening, rather than in the evening when they are closing again)
- Use flowers to sprinkle on salads or glaze flowers to use in cake decorating:
- Lightly whisk an egg white.
- Use a fine paintbrush to completely coat the flowers with the egg white.
- Sprinkle caster sugar evenly over the flowers whilst the egg white is still wet.
- Place the flowers face down on greaseproof paper to dry for 12-24 hours.
Borage
- These plants are well suited to beds and borders in full sun or partial shade. You can grow in pots too, but as the flowers can get fairly tall (eg 1m), choose a wide based bot approx 40cm wide and deep.
- Plant 40-50cm apart, near the back as it will grow to about 1m tall
- They will self-seed easily, so either leave flowers to go to seed if you are happy for them to spread in the borders, or keep dead-heading right through to the end of autumn.
- Harvest flowers in the morning (when they are just opening, rather than in the evening when they are closing again)
- Use borage to decorate cakes, add to drinks or sprinkle on salads. You can freeze them in icecube trays as well. Great for gin & tonic!
Nasturtium
- These plants are well suited to pots, beds and borders in full sun or partial shade.
- Plant 20cm apart or dot them in and around veg or other flowers.
- Keep them watered during dry spells, other than that they are fairly self-sufficient
- You can cut them back quite hard during the growing season and they will grow back well.
- Plant near brassicas to use as a sacrificial crop – hopefully cabbage whites will lay their eggs on the nasturtiums rather than on your brassicas. We’d still recommend netting your brassicas though, just in case!
- Flowers re best harvested in the morning just as they are opening.
- You can add both flowers and leaves to salads and other dishes for a peppery flavour.
