Greta Lewanski 2/26/21 Greta Lewanski 2/26/21

5 of my Favorite Edibles!

Flowers are not just food for the soul! They can also be REAL food. In fact, my two kiddos DELIGHT in plucking a flower and munching.

I want to share 5 easy flowers that you can grow AND eat!

Flower petals can be used fresh or dried for garnish during the cold, dark winter months.

Aside from nasturtiums, which are completely edible (leaves and stems), be sure to eat only the petals of these flowers.

Calendula

Tangy and slightly bitter, you can add these petals to sweet or savory dishes.

An easy to grow and prolific bloomer. They also readily self-seed in the garden for years after your first planting.

Direct seed in the garden after last frost OR start indoors 4-5 weeks before last frost (which in my neighborhood is around May 15th).

Plant in the garden or in planters giving about 6-9” of space between each plant.

Bachelor Buttons

These flowers are delicate and whimsical and are always one of the first to bloom! They are mild and sweet.

Direct seed as soon as soil can be worked or start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost.

Plant out about 6-9” apart in the garden or in planters. Be sure to stake as these grow tall and can easily topple in a wind storm.

Calendula comes in colors ranging from pale yellow to rich orange.

Snapdragons

Snapdragons are a workhorse in my flower garden. They come in many colors, last a long time in the vase, are cold hardy AND you can eat them. They taste a bit bitter and floral :) Add a few as garnish to salads, deserts or drinks.

I would say these are for the intermediate grower. They can be tricky to germinate so plant a few seeds per cell or pot. Press the seed gently into soil but don’t cover as this seed needs light to germinate.

Start these early! I’m planting my first succession (a succession is simply anytime you seed a specific variety) the 3rd week in March. I’ll do two successions about 3-4 weeks apart.

Space about 6-12” apart in the garden. Be sure to pinch when plants are 4” high - this will give you a branching plant with lots of blooms!

Nasturtiums

These guys are the classic edible. They taste a bit spicy and both the flowers and the leaves look amazing on a salad.

Plant directly in a pot or in the ground 2 weeks before last frost OR start indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost.

Cover seeds, as they require dark to germinate.

These look amazing anywhere in the garden, in planters or hanging pots. Plant about 3 plants per 10” pot or space 8-12” apart in the garden.

Nasturtiums: a bright and cheery addition to your salad.

Sunflowers

Not only can you eat the seeds, you can eat the petals! They are bittersweet and will brighten up any salad or dessert.

One of the easiest flowers to grow. They do great in pots (but will be shorter and smaller), or in the garden. Folks tend to think these need to grow super tall! I personally love these to be more manageable for the vase so grow them closer together (6” apart).

Direct sow in the garden after last frost. You can also start indoors 2-3 weeks before planting outdoors. They grow fast, so don’t start too soon!

Two of my favorite varieties for the vase are ProCut Orange and ProCut Gold and Sonja. If you’re looking to grow seeds, go with Standfast from Fruition Seeds.

Sunflowers (edible) & zinnias (not edible) harvested off our old farm in WI.