How to grow your own edible flowers for a floral feast

Telegraph

24-05-2025

Carolyn Dunster has written widely about the best flowers to grow, cut and dry, taking inspiration from her own small, city garden. She will be appearing at the Royal Windsor Flower Show on June 7 to discuss her book A Floral Feast, dedicated to growing flowers and plants to use in cooking. Here are 10 of her favourite edible flowers to grow – and how to serve them.
Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium)
My number one plant for starting an edible flower garden is the nasturtium. It is especially useful as all its parts are edible.
Plant a container of nasturtiums outside the kitchen door. Several plants and staggered sowing times will give you flowers and foliage to pick all summer long. They are the easiest plants in the world to grow from seed; plant at a depth of 5cm and space them evenly apart at about 15cm. They are not fussy so you can use any kind of soil or compost. Sow in late spring as soon as the ground has warmed up.
At the end of the flowering season leave some of the pods to ripen on the plant to collect the seed for sowing. When they have turned brown and hard, save in a cool dark place until the following spring.
How to eat
The flowers and leaves are edible and delicious – the flowers have a delicate peppery flavour and add texture, colour and crunch to a mixed green salad. The leaves can be coated in a light batter and deep fried in vegetable oil to serve as a tempura, or can be made into a vivid pesto.
Calendula officinalis (English marigold)
Marigolds can be used in multiple dishes; as hardy annuals they are extremely easy to grow – simply divide a packet of seeds and sow half in the autumn and the remainder in the spring by scattering directly on to the ground. You will have flowers to pick throughout the summer and beyond. They also perform well in small pots.
To keep plants compact and bushy, pinch out the top shoots to promote side shoots further down the main stem. Regular picking of the flowers will encourage more to come. If they start to form seed heads early in the season, cut them off as they will prevent further flowering. At the end of the summer, remove and save some seed heads for resowing, or leave them on the plant to disperse naturally.
The one I like to use best in cooking is 'Indian Prince', a rich burnt orange. Harvest the flowers once they are fully open: gently remove the petals from the main flower head and store in the fridge in a sealed container. If drying, place the heads upside down on a flat board and keep somewhere warm away from direct light for around a week, then remove the petals and transfer to a jar. They will keep for several months.
How to eat
Calendula works like saffron in cooking and will tint and subtly flavour a variety of foods. I scatter the petals over a simple risotto just before serving. The flavour is best described as zesty, with a hint of grassiness. The leaves have a peppery taste and can be picked to use in salads – mix with a scattering of fresh petals.
Dianthus (pink, carnation)
Pinks and carnations are part of the same family and both are edible, but there are some significant differences: pinks are smaller and hardier and like to be outside whereas carnations grow taller, are fussier and should be well protected, ideally under glass. Grow both from seed started indoors in the very early spring or buy small plants in early summer.
Pinks can be transferred to a border or cutting patch. Plant them in a sunny spot right at the front for the best display. Regular picking will keep them compact and they are perfect for a small space. They require well-drained soil and do not like to become waterlogged; adding some horticultural grit will provide extra drainage. Dianthus is easy to propagate: plant cuttings directly into a seed tray of compost and cover with grit to create new plants for the following year.
How to eat
Turn them into sugars for cakes and biscuits or add to ice creams and sorbets. The frilly, brightly coloured petals look fabulous floating in drinks or scattered as food confetti over finished dishes just before serving. Be sure to cut off the white heel at the base beforehand as this has a bitter aftertaste.
Foeniculum vulgare (common fennel)
Fennel thrives in any situation. Scatter seed in autumn or spring and once you have seedlings of about 10cm high, thin them out so that your plants sit half a metre apart as the roots need plenty of space underground.
Once the flowers go over and seed heads start to form, cut off the stems with the heads intact, leaving a few short leaves at the base of the plant – it will come back the following year. As they ripen, the tiny individual seeds will detach themselves when the heads are gently shaken. Store them in an airtight jar.
How to eat
All parts are edible and have a mild aniseed flavour. Add the flowers to salads and cold vegetable dishes and use the leaves and stems in stews and soups, or eat them raw. Use the seeds in curries, pickles and preserves.
Hibiscus syriacus (rose of Sharon)
These plants were originally cultivated in the Middle East but they are hardy enough to survive northern winters outside. To encourage their bushy habit they require light pruning in the spring. Purchase from a garden centre as a small specimen and it will soon put on plenty of growth. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, water well and they will reward you with a display of colour from mid- to late summer through until the autumn.
To harvest the flowers, cut them in the middle of the day when they are in full bloom with a sharp pair of scissors. Do not try to pick them by hand; they are very fragile and bruise easily. Carefully separate the petals from the calyx – the green part at the base of the flower – and discard the stamen. Lay the petals out to dry and then store in an airtight container.
How to eat
The petals have a fruity flavour reminiscent of blackcurrants and plums. Dark pink or red varieties such as 'Flower Tower Ruby' make the best coloured juices and syrups – I use them to make poached pears.
Jasminum officinale (common white jasmine)
While most commonly recognised as a flavouring for tea, the scented flowers of white jasmine have many further uses in cooking. The tiny star-shaped blooms pack a strongly perfumed punch and put on a delightful show all summer long.
Jasmine is the perfect boundary plant; it quickly scrambles on a trellis or along wire runners to cover a wall or fence. Plant small specimens in spring or autumn; for a profusion of perfumed flowers, jasmine needs direct sunlight. Prune after flowering has finished; you can be as tough as necessary. Water once after planting and then leave it to do its own thing – it copes very well with dry conditions. Pick individual flower heads as they appear and store in a sealed container in the fridge.
How to eat
You will only need a few jasmine flowers for flavour; their sweet, slightly musky taste adds a floral note to cakes and desserts and puddings, or add to rice and noodle dishes for a hint of fragrance. To make your own jasmine tea, layer fresh or dried flowers between black or green tea leaves, steep in boiling water and strain before drinking.
Lavandula (lavender)
All varieties of lavender flowers are edible and if you grow a range of plants you can extend their flowering season. Start with French lavenders, which bloom in early summer, and follow through with some English varieties that flower until autumn.
Lavenders like to be baked in full sun. Plant them at any time as small specimens; they are happiest in well-drained soil and thrive in stony situations. They hate to sit in the wet and require only minimal watering. Cut off any spent stems after flowering has finished and trim back to the first part of the green growth, which will encourage prolific flowering the following year. Avoid cutting into any brown wood as this will kill the plant.
How to eat
You can harvest lavender flowers at different stages. Gently detach the tiny florets from the main head when they are in full bloom to dress cakes and desserts. Use the whole flower heads to make syrups and cordials for cocktails. As the blooms start to fade, pick bunches and hang them upside down in a warm space away from direct sunlight; once dry, roll between your finger and thumb so that the flower nibs come away from the head. Store in a glass jar and use to make sugars, jams and jellies.
Pelargonium (storksbill)
For the purposes of growing pelargoniums as edible plants it is important not to confuse them with geraniums. Growing several different types of pelargoniums for their strongly perfumed foliage provides plenty of different options for flavouring food. Choose varieties such as 'Attar of Roses', 'Lemon Kiss' or 'Chocolate Peppermint' to use in different recipes.
Pelargoniums are easy to grow but they hate to have damp roots so consider adding some grit, gravel or vermiculite to improve drainage. From May to October you can grow them outside; site them in a sunny spot and water the roots little but often. If you plant them in pots or containers they can be brought inside to sit on a windowsill during the colder months.
In autumn, reduce the foliage; cut back just above a leaf node with clean sharp scissors, and take off any yellowing or dead leaves as you see them. If at any time your plant looks like it is sickening, it is probably because it has been overwatered and/or because it is not getting enough light.
How to eat
Use the leaves to make scented syrups, or scented sugar to use in cakes.
Rosa (rose)
No edible flower garden is complete without at least one scented rose: look for those that flower repeatedly. Once established they need little care other than some pruning in late autumn or early spring.
Roses prefer some sun but there are several varieties that will grow in shade such as 'Eustacia Vye' or 'Phyllis Bide' and there are many that grow happily in pots and containers, such as 'Noisette Blush'. If you intend to use the petals for decoration, the pink flowers of 'Gertrude Jekyll' and the clarets of 'Munstead Wood' and 'Darcy Bussell' all retain their colour and hold up well to drying and crystallisation.
If you see black spot or rust on any leaves then cut them off immediately. Regular picking and deadheading encourages new growth.
How to eat:
Use the petals, buds or whole flower heads fresh or dried for garnishes and decoration, or make your own syrups, waters and cordials for flavouring drinks and a range of sweet and savoury dishes. I use rose water, rose syrup and petals to make a rose pavlova.
Helianthus annuus (sunflower)
Sow sunflower seeds in pots or directly into the ground in late spring or under cover in the autumn and germination is guaranteed. They like to be in a sunny open position with plenty of space around them, and they only require minimal water.
If the bright yellow standard varieties are too much of a statement, look at the types with cream, bronze or claret-coloured petals and smaller flower heads. My preference is for 'Ms Mars', but it is rewarding to experiment with a few different seed packets for a rainbow mix of petals that will look stunning on a plate.
Pick petals first thing in the morning when they are fresh. Gently remove them individually but leave the head on the plant as it is full of seeds that need more time to ripen. The seeds are ready to harvest when they are plump and loose. Shake them into a paper bag and allow them to dry out completely. Both the seeds and petals have a nutty flavour.
How to eat:
Use the seeds in stews, soups, breads, dips, butters and granola, or eat raw. Add the petals to any vegetable dish. You can also eat the young buds of sunflowers; they are similar in texture to artichoke hearts. Pick them before the petals appear and either steam or roast.