Edible Flowers

I been searching for the best edible flowers to mix with the garden veggies and make good companions. I don't have the books I use to have and really hate to bother anyone---but
I would really like to hear your edible flower experience and what you know on companion planting with edible flowers.
I found a few links on edible flowers but they do not list all the edible flowers. I did learn alot about the flowers of herbs and how the herb flowers can be milder than the herb leaf and I like that information cause sometimes the herb leaf can be very strong.
I know Petunia flower petals are edible but don't know its nutrient value. I know pansies are edible too..
I know zucchini blossoms are edible but I can't make myself like the zucchini to make it worth my time in growing it. Maybe one of these days I will find a recipe that I might like.

There it is-------the brain is thinking Edible Flowers.

one link i found. interesting but not enough info.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07237.html

There are a lot of people here on the forum who love Nasturtium flowers in salads and things.

They don't really send me, but I plant them for their cheery flowers (and because they're pretty when they drape over my old stone wall)...and because they grow and grow no matter how hot or cold or wet or dry it is.

Nasturtiums are on the top of my list. Forgot to mention that one. It sure has a lot of values. Edible flowers and white fly repellent. Never grown it=====yet.

I saw a cooking show the other day that had cupcakes decorated with pansy flowers. It was soooo cute.

I found another good web link--some basic companion planting for those who don't have a book.
http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/companion-planting.html
I love this website

Does anyone know more about Petunia flowers???????? My favorite garden flower. Wave.

White flies love my pepper plants and eggplants. Tis why Nasturtiums are on the top of my list====but also for the edible flowers. Any ideas on how many Nasturtium plants it takes to protect one plant? Exactly what flavor does a Nasturtium have?

brain is all over the place lately.......found a few answers

Nasturtiums have a peppery flavor. Leaves are stronger than the flowers.
Bet the leaves are nice in stir frys.....?

Link.
http://www.gardenersnet.com/flower/nasturt.htm

Hi,
I like violets. The flowers are edible and can be candied. They spread like wildfire, however they are the first flower to wilt when the soil is getting dry. I use them as a water indicator. I think that marigolds can be eaten (but check to be sure.) They are a very good companion to tomatoes and basil, plus you can dye with them.Have fun day dreaming about spring planting.

Patty in cold Yorktown

Before I came to the beauty that is an SFG...my step mom has always been the plant person in the family. She grew stuff on her deck in pots and my little daughter would go out and water with her. On those journeys Grandma would tell Maddy which flowers were "eating flowers" and Maddy got such a kick out of them....then when we moved away Maddy ate flowers one day out of the neighbors flowerbed exclaiming the whole time that THEY WERE EATING FLOWERS!!! GRANDMA SHOWED ME!!

Well I freaked cause I didn't know which ones were or were not...I never went with her and Grandma to the deck for the "eating Flower" lessons.

Anyway apparently they WERE "eating flowers" and all was well....thankfully grandmother was a good teacher and even more thankfully my 4 year old had a good steel trap for a memory.

So for me I am very interested in edible flowers because I would like to know if my daughter picks one and decided to eat it...LOL...I won't have a sick child...so no Datura companion planting for me!

Jen

The following link lists quite a few edible flowers including garden flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
There are quite a few important do's and don'ts, such as what part of a flower is edible.
There are also recipes using flowers and descriptions of how each blossom tastes.

EDIBLE FLOWERS

Patty from Yorktown wrote: I think that marigolds can be eaten (but check to be sure.)

Calendulas, also known as pot marigolds or Poor Man's Saffron, are often eaten, but they are not true marigolds. Gem marigolds are supposed to be the best-tasting of the true marigolds. There is controversy over whether the others are edible or not, as some contain high amounts of oxalic acid or are very bitter.

I enjoy daylily flowers but I always remove the stamen and pistils before eating. They can trigger allergies in some people.

I'm leery of teaching children to eat flowers because some are very poisonous. For example, how to do you teach children the difference between edible garden pea blossoms and the poisonous flowers of the ornamental sweet pea?

I didn't even know any pea blossoms were edible...and I had read that some ornamental PEAS and BEANS are actually poisonous as well! AHHHH.....

Yeah I am with you Ander too scary. That’s why this year my DD is getting a planter with HER eating flowers...and everything else is getting labeled poisonous. Too scary.

I grew nasturtiums for the first time this year; both the leaves and blossoms are pretty peppery. They were hard to germinate, but the one I got going grew really well. You need to rough up the seed with a nail file and I think cold layering wouldn't hurt, either.

In general, I have no fear of herb flowers (sage, thyme, rosemary, borage, chives, etc.) I didn't actually eat any squash blossoms this year--I missed the window at first, and then I was spraying with Neem later--but they are tasty in a delicate way. I've eaten violets before but didn't start any from seed and didn't trust those from the box stores to be pesticide-free.

pansies are subtle but yummy. They have an aftertaste of teaberry. I find the different colors to be differently flavored - white ones are slightly peppery, dark red ones seem to have the most flavor. Blue ones seem to be pretty bland.