Using edible flowers in the kitchen has become very popular in the last couple of years and is a great way of linking home and garden. Add some flare to your cooking they can be easily grown by event he most amateur gardener.

Nasturtium

Both the leaves and flowers of these easy to grow beauties are edible.  Flowers add a vibrancy to summer salads, sandwiches of chilled soups and have a delicious peppery taste.  Simply plant as seed or buy as young plants.  They will romp away!

Calendula

The common name Pot Marigold refers to this flower’s use in medieval pottage dishes.  The petals make a colourful addition to salads, soup, scrambled eggs and dips.  Incredibly easy to grow from seed or bought as young plants.

Chives

The flowers of this easy to grow herb are perfect for adding colour and onion flavour to liven up simple salads.  The leaves are equally delicious.

Viola ‘Heartsease’

These beautiful little violas are lovely in ice cubes, salads and as visual garnishes.  Charming and easy to grow in pots alongside herbs.

Lavender

Loved by bees and famed for their beauty and aromatic qualities, lavender is a must-have plant for a sunny well-drained position.  A great way of using lavender in the kitchen is to make lavender sugar.  Take 1 tablespoon of fresh dry lavender and add 2 cups of sugar.  Leave to infuse for a week in a sealed jar.  Lavender sugar gives a lovely floral taste to cakes.

Borage

The blue starflowers of borage have a delicate cucumber flavour and are perfect to enliven chilled summer drinks such as Pimm’s with mint leaves.  Try freezing the flowers in ice cubes for adding to drinks!  (Eat Borage flowers sensibly as can act as a diuretic).