Use Edible Flowers to add Fun and Flavour

Now that I have planted lots of herbs and flowering plants that are bee-friendly, I have started to investigate what I can do with all these different plants.  There are the more obvious ones that are used regularly in cooking, some that make lovely scented cut flowers, and others that can be dried and used in bath and beauty products.  I knew that some were edible and occasionally appeared as a garnish on dishes, but I had no idea that so many flowers were in fact edible.  You can use them in salads, soups, desserts, baking, garnishes, ice cubes, crystallised petals, cake decorations, teas – the list is endless.

I thought it would be fun to do an A to Z of edible flowers; just missing K, Q, U and X – let me know if you find any of these.  Please just use this as a starting point to find out more about any flowers that you plan to eat: some may have multiple species of which only some are edible, different species may share a common name, etc.  Some flowers are theoretically edible but taste horrible; some are sweet, some peppery and others used primarily for colour.  In general, always use them sparingly as some flowers can have adverse effects for some people.  Pick them from your own garden where you can be sure they are spray-free.  Pick your flowers first thing in the morning when they have the highest water content.  Wash them thoroughly, freshen in ice water and then dry on a paper towel.  Generally use the petals only and you may need to remove e.g. the white part of rose petals as it can be bitter.

A	Alyssum, Angelica, Apple blossom
B	Basil, Bee Balm, Borage, Bergamot
C	Calendula, Carnation, Chamomile, Chives, Chrysanthemum, Coriander, Citrus, Clover, Cornflower
D	Dandelion, Daylily, Dianthus, Dill
E	Elderberry, English (lawn) Daisy
F	Fennel, Feijoa, Freesia, Fuchsia
G	Gardenia, Garlic, Geranium, Gladiolus
H	Hibiscus, Hyssop, Hollyhock
I	Indian Cress
J	Japanese Honeysuckle, Jasmine
L	Lavender, Lemon Verbena, Lilac, Lemon
M	Marigold, Marjoram, Mint, Mustard
N	Nasturtium
O	Oregano, Okra, Onion, Orange Blosssom
P	Pansy, Passionflower, Pea, Pineapple Sage, Primrose
R	Radish, Rose, Rosemary, Rocket, Runner bean
S	Sage, Scented Geranium, Snapdragon, Sunflower, Society Garlic, Sweet William, Squash
T	Thyme, Tulip
V	Viola, Violet
W	Winter Savory, Woodruff
Y	Yucca, Yellow Mustard
Z	Zucchini