Edible flowers add colour, flavour, and pollinator power — here’s how to grow them safely for both garden and plate.
Edible flowers bring vibrant colour and fragrance to your garden while enhancing culinary creations with their delicate flavours, natural antioxidants, and visual appeal.
They can be used to garnish salads, sandwiches, soft cheese, butter, and rice paper rolls. They also infuse syrups, decorate cakes, and elevate teas, cocktails, and cordials. Beyond that, edible flowers can be used to create flavoured oils, honey, sugar, custards, and more.
In addition to their culinary benefits, edible flowers support garden biodiversity by attracting valuable pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Common and readily edible flowers
Alyssum, begonia (bedding), calendula, cornflower, dianthus, pansies, nasturtiums, marigolds, hollyhock, snapdragons, cosmos, zucchini and pumpkin flowers, chamomile, borage, violas, torenia.
Longer-lasting edible flowering plants
Lavender, roses, citrus blossoms, hibiscus, pentas, heliotrope, Mexican marigold, and Clitorea ternatea (blue pea flower).
Growing popular annual edible flowers
Location
Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Most edible flowers thrive with moderate sunlight and some protection from strong winds.
Soil
Enrich the soil with Rocky Point ActivGrow Soil Improver Organic Compost. Avoid chemical fertilisers and pesticides, as these can make flowers unsafe to eat.
Container Growing
Perfect for small spaces, containers should suit the size of the plant variety. Use Rocky Point Organic Potting Mix for best results.
Watering
Keep soil evenly moist, but not soggy. Overwatering can lead to root rot, while underwatering may stunt growth.
Mulching
Apply Rocky Point Sugar Cane Mulch or Lucerne Mulch around the base of the plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds in both garden beds and pots.
Safety Tips
- Only consume flowers that are properly identified and and grown without chemical treatments.
- Avoid eating flowers from florists or supermarkets, as these are typically not food safe.
- If you have allergies, introduce edible flowers gradually and observe for any reactions.
If you would like to read more of Claire Bickle’s content head to her website now Claire Bickle | Gardening for the Good Life!
Do you have a shady spot that needs filling – learn how to grow semi-shade loving flowers here
