Edible flowers are gaining more and more popularity.

It has long been known that flowers are edible and even healthy, with cress being one of the first examples. The large nasturtium was even named Medicinal Plant of the Year in 2013. The marigold is also known for combining both beauty and health benefits in its bloom. Edible flowers turn individual representatives of a sea of blooms into more than just a visual delight. Not only in vases, but also on plates, they look beautiful and treat the taste buds.

It is quite understandable that one can eat not only the bulb but also the flower of the onion, a typical representative of the vegetable garden. But it goes even further with ornamental garlic, whose bloom is known as a bright contribution in the flowerbed. There are already experts reporting great results with these edible flowers in the kitchen. Now, one can explore the world of blooming plants that were previously appreciated only for their decorative contribution to garden beds and containers. The flowers of begonias and dahlias, for example, are also considered tasty. Additionally, the daylily is a highly decorative perennial.

The elegant, long leaves of the daylily are impressive, but the highlight, of course, are its lily-like flowers. As its Latin name suggests, many of these flowers only last for 24 hours. "Hemerocallis" means day and beauty. Thanks to breeding, this charming plant is now available in many colors. When garden lovers and gourmets meet in one person, the exotic-looking bloom sometimes ends up on the plate. There is no better way to decorate a lovingly prepared meal. The purely plant-based decoration doesn’t need to be left behind. The flowers, with their yellow, red, or blue hues from the rainbow spectrum, bring a sweet flavor that comes directly from their nectar and tastes wonderful. It’s no surprise, then, that the crisp buds of the daylily are also used in cooking. They can be found in the pan, where, after a brief sauté, they make their way into a salad or become an elegant finishing touch to a meat dish.

Sage offers several varieties, with both leaves and flowers equally delightful. The Peruvian Sage and its relatives, the Marzipan Sage and Peach Sage, invite you to use their blooming parts. To increase your yield, you can apply a technique called "pinching." This involves trimming the shoots shortly after they appear, which promotes branching without harming the plant.

Chicory and elderberry also have edible flowers. However, it's important to ensure that you don’t exploit these plants, leaving those in the wild untouched. In the garden, there’s always space for them. While hobby gardeners experiment, professionals plant these crops, whose flowers are grown for consumption, not for the beauty of the blooms, but for their intensity of flavor. To learn from this, one must ensure that the soil has low nitrate levels. When the cultivation is successful and it's time for harvest, here's a tip: the best results are achieved by picking flowers in the morning freshness. Then it’s "fresh to the table" with edible flowers. Can't do that? No problem. Gently sugaring them is an effective method of preservation.

Even though edible flowers are exciting and one can never get enough, always ensure that there’s a good supply left in the garden! Both the human and plant inhabitants will thank you.