What flowers do you grow for food

[rary]

I was just looking through my seed packets and note there are a number of flower packets labelled edible flowers, so apart from cauliflower what flowers do you grow for eating, or drinking, as I am sitting here at the moment drinking dandelion coffee

[Nicos]

Nice thread rary!

Nasturtiums.....not much else really.
I have put borage flowers and violets into ice cubes before now though.

Having said that, I recently bought some bin end packets of chamomile seeds to grow for their flowers....just wanted to check first if you can only use one specific type or if they are all OK for tea.

[Mr Bones]

We have ivy-leaved toadflax, can't say it's eaten very often but has added colour and interest to the occasional salad.

[Thelma Sanders]

I don't take an active part in growing it, self seeds everywhere but there is plenty of borage here if I want to make a salad look pretty

[Small pumpkin]

I grow a few things for my salad bags. Nasturtiums, pansy, borage, viola ( not that I've managed to germinate any this year ! ), pot marigolds ( petals only ).
If any of my rocket bolts ( more like when ) I use their flowers as well.
Chive flowers go in also.

[Snadger]

I like chewing fennel or dill seeds after they have flowered which the Romans apparently used for bad breath. I've grown poppy's for seeds as i like poppyknot buns!
The sunflowers seeds I grow for the birds or the chooks. We have a flock of feral parrots flying round the allotments who enjoy the sunflowers as well. I grow bergamot which has lovely red flowers which would probably have an orangy taste similar to the leaves, or they could be used for garnish. Nasturtium flowers, leaves and seed pods are tasty.Garlic chives have lovely flowers which are edible along with normal chive flowers.

[Jay-ell]

Dahlias (if they ever flower) , lavender (makes a great sorbet), Nasturtium, marigolds.

chives, garlic chives and three cornered leek flowers.

sweet cicely, fennel, black Cumin for the seeds

Used to use roses.

[burnie]

I forage more than I grow, lack of room is my problem, in the past I have eaten sun flower seeds I've grown.

[Bren In Pots]

Nasturtiums, pansies, violas and chives. can't think of anything else.

[rary]

Dahlias (if they ever flower) , lavender (makes a great sorbet), Nasturtium, marigolds.

chives, garlic chives and three cornered leek flowers

Jay-ell, what are three cornered leek flowers? and the dahlias is it the flower or the root that's edible or both

[Jay-ell]

Jay-ell, what are three cornered leek flowers? and the dahlias is it the flower or the root that's edible or both

Three cornered leek flowers are the flowers from 3 cornered leeks.

Dahlias - you can eat both. Flower lovers don't follow this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCuoMHkVW24

[rary]

Three cornered leek flowers are the flowers from 3 cornered leeks.

I have never heard of 3 cornered leeks before

[Jay-ell]

I have never heard of 3 cornered leeks before

Next thing you'll be saying you've never heard of square melons either


3 cornered leeks (Allium triquetrum) are type of clump forming wild leek that's introduced to the UK from the med. It's quite invasive so I gre it in a tub and kept eating all the flowers so it couldn't seed itself round the garden (ants grab the seed and run off with it).

All parts of it are not only edible but very tasty. The Flowers have a sweet onion flavour and are great in salads or cheese sandwiches.

I can't find any of my photos of it (i'm sure I took some) so here's one from wikipedia

[rary]

Next thing you'll be saying you've never heard of square melons either

Och they grow like weeds in the back garden:rolleyes
And thanks for the info. about the leeks, if they are so invasive I think I will give them a miss