10 Edible Flowers for Your Spring Garden

This Old House Magazine
A plateful of pretty blossoms
A plateful of pretty blossoms


In the past three years, spending on vegetable gardening has risen 20 percent, while flower sales have dropped. But why choose one over the other? Add color to your garden-and plate-by planting these bright, edible bloomers. -Gillian Barth, This Old House magazine

See all 10 flowers to grow for a plateful of blossoms!


1. Violets

Violets
Violets


Plant these springtime annuals in a spot that gets full sun but isn't too hot, and skip commercial fertilizer; bed them with compost material instead. Then, cool off plucked buds by dropping them in ice trays and freezing them into cubes for a festive look in a drink glass. They'll add a perfumed flavor to cocktails and seltzers alike.

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2. Pansies

Pansies
Pansies


Add color to an herb garden with these annuals, which are closely related to violets and enjoy similar growing conditions. Harvest their large flowers for pretty desserts. Brush delicate buds with egg white and dip them in sugar for a candied effect that will enhance their grassy, wintergreen flavor. Then, top an iced cake or a batch of cupcakes with the sweet garnish. If that's too sweet, dress a salad with bare pansy petals for a splash of color against green.

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3. Squash Blossoms

Squash Blossoms
Squash Blossoms


Save yourself from swimming in more ripe summer vegetables than you can handle and prune off some blossoms before they open into flowers, while they still look like pods. Stuff them, work them into pasta, or dust them lightly with flower and flash-fry them for a delicate tempura that still carries a hint of the squash flavor and texture that could have been.

See all 10 of these edible flowers on thisoldhouse.com!


For more gardening tips see:

8 Lessons on Stretching a Small Yard

Best Flowers for an Organic Garden

10 Ways to Add Privacy to Your Yard