Many of us fill our gardens with flowers to add colour and interest, but there is so much more to some flowers than their appearance. Sight and smell are the two most obvious senses to be satisfied by beautiful blooms, but have you ever considered growing flowers that can also tantalise your tastebuds?
Edible flowers have been used for years, both as ingredients for dishes and for decoration. The Ancient Greeks, Romans and Chinese are thought to have used flowers for culinary and medicinal uses, while the early Incas and Aztecs included flowers in some of their most important rituals. This history of flowers in food may be little known, but nowadays many top restaurants are using more and more edible flowers to enhance dishes with both colour and flavour.
There are many ways in which you can introduce flowers into your garden, with the aim of incorporating them into your cookery. Growing them yourself means that you can be sure they are clean, fresh and free from any pests or diseases. It’s not as easy as you might think though – although there are many flowers that can be consumed, you need to be 100% sure that what you pick is safe to eat. Many are poisonous and could make you ill, so if you are at all unsure, steer clear and just enjoy the sight and smell of them in your garden.