Edible flowers from the garden

Quite a few garden flowers can go into a salad, a drink or on top of a cake. Before any of that, you need to be sure which flower you have.

Edibly Ltd is a different business, and this free guide has no connection with it.

Which flowers

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says edible flowers can add colour, flavour and texture to savoury and sweet dishes, as well as to cordials and butters. Its list includes basil, borage, chives, courgette, peas, rocket, roses, sunflowers and violas.

The RHS says all roses are edible, with the more fragrant ones best. Nasturtium flowers are peppery and suit salads and pasta. Pot marigold gives intense colour and a peppery taste to soups, stews and puddings.

Herb flowers such as basil, chives, lavender, mint, rosemary and thyme have a more subtle flavour than their leaves.

If in doubt, don't eat

The RHS puts identification first. In its words, "if you are in doubt, don't eat".

The RHS also says that people prone to allergies, especially to pollen, should not eat flowers.

The RHS says flowers from your own garden are best, as long as they haven't been sprayed and pets haven't soiled them. It also says no pesticides are approved for home gardeners to use on edible flowers, and it warns against old, faded or dusty flowers picked by roadsides or where livestock or dog walkers go.

Many plants with edible flowers are sold as ordinary garden plants. Unless one is labelled for culinary use, the RHS suggests growing it on for at least three months to reduce the risk of pesticide residues, and only harvesting the later flowers.

Picking and using them

The RHS advises picking young flowers and buds on a dry morning, before the sun gets too strong, while their colour and flavour are at their best. Use them straight away, or keep them in the fridge in a plastic bag for a couple of days.

Usually only the petals are eaten. On large flowers such as roses, hollyhocks and hibiscus, the RHS suggests throwing away the stamens, pistils and calyces. Small flowers in umbels, like fennel and dill, can be used whole.

Plants to keep off the plate

The RHS keeps a list of potentially harmful garden plants that mirrors the Horticultural Trades Association's (HTA) guidance. Its first advice is that if a plant is not a food plant, you shouldn't eat it.

The HTA recommends labelling harmful plants in three categories, A, B and C, by how severe the hazard is. The HTA says most retailers try to label the plants they sell, though labelling is voluntary.

If you think someone may have swallowed something harmful, the NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E. If you're not sure it was harmful, call NHS 111. The RHS adds: take a piece of the plant with you, and don't try to make the person sick. If a pet may have eaten a poisonous plant, the RHS says to get advice from a vet, and to take a sample of the plant along.

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