Guide to Edible Flowers with Garden Party TO
a selection of edible flowers from my tiny garden!
by Fran Allen, CNP
One of the best things about cultivating my small apartment garden is growing edible flowers! Nothing makes a meal feel more special than an array of brightly coloured petals decorating the plate. They are the perfect seasonal accompaniment to any drink or dish and are surprisingly easy and affordable to grow on your own. I reached out to the amazing duo behind Garden Party TO for some of their expert tips and tricks to growing your own edible flowers at home.
Garden Party is Amber Stafford and Courtney-Anne Craft, two plant-loving freaks of nature who use organic methods to create healthy, beautiful gardens for homes and businesses across Toronto and beyond! You can see some of their commercial work in Toronto at Club Monaco on Bloor and Yonge Streets, the patio at Bellwoods Brewery, Nutbar on Yonge Street, and in Ottawa at Citizen, and Supply & Demand.
Here are their top plant picks to build your own edible flower garden!
Anise Hyssop or Agastache foeniculum , it’s native to Ontario!
Flavour: Tiny blossoms in purple tubes with a delicate licorice/ anise flavour
Pair with: a fresh salad or a fancy cocktail!
Growing Tips: These grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Make sure to remove spent flowers to promote a second flowering.
Wild Bergamot or Monarda fistulosa, also native to Ontario!
Flavour: The flowers and young leaves have a very minty, Earl Grey-tea flavour
Pair with: Great on cakes or desserts, even in tea
Growing Tips: Plant in open areas with good air circulation to avoid powdery mildew.
Chive Flowers or Allium schoenoprasum, Native again!
Flavour: A beautiful pink flower that has a mild onion flavour that sprouts on the tops of mature chive plants
Pair with: Salads, scrambled eggs and avocado toast
Growing Tips: A super hardy, very dependable plant and will come back every year even in a pot on a balcony. These are great for beginner gardeners!
Lavender Flowers or Lavandula angustifolia
Flavour: Sweet and intensely floral - use in moderation so as to not overpower your dish
Pair with: A glass of champagne or in anything chocolate. These would also be delicious on a lemon tart too, yummm.
Growing Tips: A somewhat high maintenance plant - does not like excess moisture in winter (which can cause root rot), or in summer (which can cause leaves to blacken). Very well-drained soil is key! Try adding sand and stone at the base of your planting hole. If the plant is in a pot, use drainage stone and make sure the pot has drainage holes too.
Basil Flowers or Ocimum basilicum
Flavour: Like Basil, but in tiny white flower form, sprouting from the tops of mature basil plants near the end of the growing season. Basil leaves are generally considered less desirable in terms of flavour after the plant has flowered so pinch off the flowers and put them to good use!
Pair with: Sprinkle on top of pasta, pesto, or soups
Growing Tips: Water! Basil needs daily watering in hot weather and very well-drained soil. Think recreating Provencal soil conditions. For best results when planting in pots to use drainage stone and make sure the pot has drainage holes.
Amber Stafford and Courtney-Anne Craft the duo behind Garden Party TO
When sourcing edible flowers make sure to source organic flowers whenever possible and wash well before using. It is best to use the flowers immediately after picking to avoid wilting but petals can be perked up by floating in ice water before using. Store on a damp paper towel in the fridge for 1 day if needed.
Find out more about Garden Party at www.gardenpartyTO.com or @gardenparty_to on Instagram.