To view Thompson & Morgan's current seed lists of edible flowers,
click USA & Canada or UK and rest of World.

More and more people are rediscovering the almost lost art of cooking and decorating food with flowers. The Chinese were the first to try experiments with flowers as food and their many and varied recipes can be traced back as far back as 3,000 B.C.

In bygone times Violets and Nasturtiums were considered 'salad herbs' and were included in 'Summer salad' in the 15th Century and today, fine restaurants in the U.K and U.S.A are using edible flowers to enhance salads, appetizers and entrees.

Its always best to grow your own flowers because then you can be sure that they are clean and free from chemicals which could have een applied to keep down pests and diseases or to increase the flowers lasting ability.

Even if you are not keen on experimenting with salads or sauces, edible flowers make excellent garnishes which, unlike some of the things that are draped around your plate of nouvelle cuisine, are nice to eat! Furthermore, as in bygone times, your flower garden becomes a treasure chest of delicately flavoured treats to scatter on your salads or add a 'touch of class' to your hors d'oeuvres.

T&M's FLOWER PETAL SALAD

T&M have chosen five of the most popular edible flower varieties and produced a mixture which can be sown direct into the garden. This mix contains a selection from the following:Calendula, Borage, Viola Johnny Jump Up, Tagetes, Monarda, Bellis and Nasturtium.

HOW TO GROW YOUR FLOWER SALAD

Sow anytime during the Spring when the ground is workable, first having dug over the area to remove any perennial weeds. Once the ground has settled after the digging, it should be raked to a fine tilth.

The contents of the packet can be sown by scattering lightly over the soil and then raking the seed in, but weed control is greatly simplified if the seed is sown in rows. Draw 6mm (1/4in) deep drills, 30cm (12in) apart. Sprinkle the seed thinly along the row, allowing 68 seeds per 30cm ( 12in) of row, then firm and lightly rake over the area. On germination, any seedlings which are over crowded can be transplanted whilst still quite small. Keep the weedsdown by hoeing along the rows until the plants grow into one another.

Harvest the flowers early in the day, preferably early in the morning just after the dew has gone, and only wash the flowers if necessary as otherwisesome of the fragrance and nectar may be removed. Keep the flowers in complete heads until just before you make the salad. They can be stored for a little while in the refrigerator if required.

N.B. Never use any petals which have been sprayed with chemicals.

FLOWER SALAD RECIPES

Here is a selection of some of the many ways there are for including Flowers in your menu. Harvest the flowers as described under 'How to grow your Flower Salad'

Bloomsbury Salad

Gather the following fresh flowers: 10 to 14 Borage; 10 to 14 Viola; 5 Nasturtium; 4 Calendula; 2 to 3 Monarda (Bergamot) flower heads.

Select some young tender lettuce leaves, Salad Bowl is an ideal variety for this. Wash and dry and tear into a wooden or glass bowl. Add several whole Monarda leaves and a similar quantity of nasturtium leaves, and toss in an oil and vinegar dressing. Lightly pull apart the Calendula, Monarda, Nasturtium and Viola but leave the borage flowers whole, then mix all gently into the salad. Garnish the top of the salad with a few whole Nasturtium flowers and Rose Petals.

Golden Chicken Soup

Choose two Marigold flowers, pull off the petals, cut up into extremely small pieces with scissors. Measure out the quantity of water required to reconstitute a can of condensed chicken soup. Place the water only in a saucepan, add the Marigold flowers, bring to the boil and boil briskly for 2 minutes.After cooling, add to the concentrated soup and reheat. Pour out into bowls and garnish with fresh Marigold petals.

Cottage Cheese Dip

1 cup cottage cheese; 1 clove garlic; pressed 1/4 tsp. caraway seeds; 1/4 cup yoghurt 1/4 cup mixed flower petals torn into small pieces; Salt.

Force the cottage cheese through a sieve. Add remaining ingredients. Chill for 2 hours and garnish withborage flowers. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Violet Soup

1 Litre (1 3/4pint) of stock; 40g (1 3/4oz. ) long grain rice; 1 teaspoonful lemon juice; 3/4 cupful of freshly picked, unwashed violets or small flowered pansies or heartease (viola tricolor).

Boil the rice in the stock for twenty minutes or until soft, add the violets and lemon juice, cover with a saucepan lid and simmer very gently for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Crystallized Flowers

Freshly picked primroses, pansies, violets, pinks or other recommended small flowers; caster sugar; the white of an egg.

Pick the flowers when the dew has dried, select undamaged perfectly formed flowers. Gently whisk the egg white until it is bubbly but not frothy. Paint the white onto all parts of the flower then dip it it into the making sure that it is completely covered. Shake off any surplus and leave on Caster sugar greaseproof paper in a warm room to dry. Use when hardened. Place in an airtight container when thoroughly dry, layered with greaseproof paper and store in a cool place. They will keep for about a week.

FURTHER SUGGESTIONS

Bellis (Daisy) - Mix half a cupful of daisy flowers with other salad ingredients and use a few as a garnish. Add a few petals to soups, stews etc.

Borage - Use the tender young leaves in salads, cold drinks, fish sauces or cooked like Spinach. Use the blue flowers as a garnishin punches and other iced drinks, in salads, or candied as cake decorations.

Calendula - They make a bright and tasty addition to tossed salads. Use the fresh or dried yellow petals as an economical

(English Marigold) - substitute for Saffron, also to give a subtle flavour and golden colour to seafood, soups, stews, puddings, rice, rice puddings and omelettes. After softening in hot milk, they can be added to bread, biscuits and cakes. Use the fresh young leaves sparingly in salads.

Carnation - The spicy clove flavoured flowers add zest to salads and can be candied, made into jam or sweetsour pickle!

Chrysanthemum - The strongly spicy flavoured flowers can be used in salads or to make Japanese Chrysanthemum soup. COWSLIP Popular as a garnish on salads, remove the stalks so they sit open faced on top of lettuce, cress etc. Crystallize or use in pancakes or cakes.

Dianthus - The spicy clove flavoured flowers add zest to salads and can be candied, made into jam or sweetsour pickle!

Hollyhock - Add a cupful of petals to salads, or pick the unopened flower buds, boil for three minutes and add to salads. LAVENDER Make delicious lavender sugar or lavender and mint jelly from the freshly picked flowers.

Monarda (Bergamot) - Fresh or dried leaves can be used to make Bergamot tea. Use 3 teaspoons of fresh leaves, coarsely chopped, or 1 teaspoonful of dried leaves per cup. Drink without milk and sweeten with honey if required. The colourful petals can be added to salads as a garnish and mixed with other edible flowers like nasturtium and calendula wil really make it sparkle! Only wash the flowers if really necesary or the fragrance will be diminished.

Marigold - The flowers and leaves taste of orange or lemon. Use in sandwiches, salads, seafood chowders and hot desserts.

Nasturtium - The fresh leaves and flowers have a peppery flavour similar to Watercress. The flowers add a spicy touch to salads and the green seeds can be chopped and used with parsley as a garnish or made into 'capers'. Try them combined with cream cheese or butter in canapes, or in a cheese and tomato sandwich. Use as a garnish on casseroles or steaks.

Ornamental Cabbage - The leaves picked while still young make an excellent and colourful addition to salads.

Oxlip - Popular as a garnish on salads, remove the stalks so they sit open faced on top of lettuce, cress etc. Crystallize or use in pancakes or cakes.

Pansy - The petals make a colourful addition to green salads and can be candied to top desserts etc.

Pinks - The spicy clove flavoured flowers add a zest to salads and can be candied, made into jam or sweetsour pickle!

Primrose - Popular as a garnish on salads, remove the stalks so they sit open faced on top of lettuce, cress etc. Crystallize or use in pancakes or cakes. ROSE Has a delicate fruity flavour which will improve cool drinks and fruit dishes. Both the hips and petals can be used in jellies. Popular as crystallized flowers or for an attractive garnish on green salads.

Sunflower - The green buds before the flower opens are delicious cooked in a butter sauce.

Sweet William - The petals add zest to ice cream, sorbets, salads, fruit salad, dessert sauces, seafood stirfries.

Tagetes - The flowers and leaves taste of orange or lemon. Use in sandwiches, salads, seafood chowders and hot desserts.

Viola - The petals add colour to green salads, and can be candied to top desserts etc., or even used to make violet soup.

To view Thompson & Morgan's current seed lists of edible flowers, click USA & Canada or UK and rest of World.

FLOWERS TO AVOID

Although there are probably many more flowers in the garden which can be eaten safely we would recommend that you confine yourself to trying the ones mentioned above and avoid anything that has not been widely recommended. The following common garden flowers which are all poisonous to a greater or lesser degree should be especially avoided:

Anemone (Anemone)
Celandine (Chelidonium majus)
Columbine (Aquilegia)
Christmas Rose (Helleborus)
Cyclamen (Cyclamen)
Daffodil (Narcissus)
Delphinium (Delphinium)
Foxglove (Digitalis)
Fritillary (Fritillaria)
Globe Flower (Trollius)
Iris (Iris)
Laburnum (Laburnum)
Leopards Bane (Doronicum)