Small delicate blue or white start shaped flowers have a cool cucumber flavour and make a wonderful garnish. They are traditionally used as a garnish for Pimms and look wonderful frozen in icecubes.
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Only the petals can be used. They have a tangy almost citrus flavour and are fabulous in salads, folded into pasta and in a citrus butter for melting over fish or chicken.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
The petals of chicory can be used and have the same bitter flavour as the plants. They come in blue, pink or white and can be used as a garnish and in a wide range of dishes.
Chicory (Chicorium intybus)
The individual florets have a strong onion flavour which is lovely in salads and particularly good with eggs. They are fabulous folded into omelettes or scrambled eggs.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Coriander flowers have the same flavour as the leaves and are produced in masses of tiny white delicate fronds which make a beautiful and delicate garnish for many dishes.
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
Slightly sweet almost spicy clove like taste. Cornflowers come in a range of pink, blue and almost black. They crystalise well so are great for cupcakes.
Corn Flower (Centaurea cyanus)
Courgette flowers have a sweet nutty flavour and are robust enough to use in tempura, for stuffing or folding into pasta dishes.
Courgette (Cucurbita pepo var. courgette or marrow)
A lovely range of strong colours for late summer. Related to sunflowers the petals are a pretty addition to salads.
Dahlia (Dahlia)
The common daisy has some wonderful modern cultivars that come in a range of reds and pinks and white. The petals are not particularly intense in flavour but make a lovely garnish for both sweet and savoury dishes.
Daisy (Bellis perennis)
The petals of day lilies have a wonderful sweet crunch and are used in a lot of recipes from East Asian where the plant originated. The buds can be sliced across and eaten or the petals can be removed once the flower has opened.
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
Leaves add fabulous sweet garlic crunch to salas, soups and stir frys all summer. Do not overcook as you will loose the flavour. The starlike white flowers appear in August and add a lovely bite to salads and savoury dishes.
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)
Come in a fabulous range of hot summer colours. Can be stuffed or the individual petals used. Mild lettuce like flavour.
Gladioli (Gladiolus)
Lavender flowers are intense flavour and aroma have been used in a wide range of recipes throughout the centuries. They are particularly good in baking and as a substitute for cloves. Lavender is quite often a component of the Provencal herb mix and is great with rabbit and chicken.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Both the flowers and leaves have a lovely spicy flavour and the flowers come in a range of fabulous hot colours which look fabulous in a salad. If the stigma and stamens are carefully removed then the flowers can be stuffed with guacamole or cream cheese.
Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)
These petals can be steeped in wine, sugar, or use as cake decoration. To use the surprisingly sweet petals in desserts, cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower.
Pinks (Dianthus)
Roses have had culinary uses for centuries. They vary enormously in flavour but generally the more scented the better the flavour will be. They are fabulous in jam, cakes and crystallised.
Rose (Rosa)
The flowers of french or salad rocket have exactly the same spicy flavour as the leaves. They have a delicate star like appearance and are available for most of the year. Pretty as a garnish for salads but delicate.
Salad rocket (Arugula)
Great colour with almost orchid like 'faces'. Slightly bitter flavour not unlike chichory.
Snapdragon (Antirrhinum)
Sunflower petals have a great bittersweet nutty flavour and a good crunch. They add a fabulous burst of colour to salads, pasta dishes or a stirfry. Sunflower buds can also be cooked and are not dissimilar to Jerusalem Artichokes in flavour.
Sunflower (Helianthus annus)
Devon violets are famous across the country and have a distinctive fragrant flavour.
Violets (Viola ororata)
A delicate fragrant flavour and look beautiful as a Spring garnish. They also look stunning set in a jelly.
Wild Primroses (Primrose vulgaris)
Leaves and flowers available in April. Leaves are broad and spinach like and impart a wonderful subtle garlic flavour when wrapped around chicken or fish.
Wild garlic (Allium ursinum)
Dainty spicy yellow flowers which are very pretty but are easily damaged by water or dressing.
Wild rocket (Diplotaxis muralis)
