Edible Flowers for Victory Garden Beauty

Ornamental Perennial Plants for Edible Landscape Blooms

Feb 25, 2009

While many gardeners think of fruits and vegetables in their victory garden, many beautiful flowering plants have edible blossoms.

These plants are known for their edible flowers and have been used in cottage kitchen gardens for centuries. Some have known culinary purposes, while others are often used as medicinal herbs as well.

Lavender is a low-maintenance, perennial herb that is useful for many things in home and garden. Lavender fragrance is well-recognized, and the flower is often grown for indoor cut flower arrangements, potpourri, crafts and, of course, use in the kitchen. When used in baking, tea or other gourmet dishes, lavender gives an exotic flavor that comes at a premium price in five-star restaurants. Now gardeners can grow their own unusual herbs right in their kitchen garden by adding lavender to their edible landscape. See more information about growing lavender and a lavender cookie recipe.

Viola Flowers for Salad Garnish and Deserts

Three varieties of viola species flowers are historically used in culinary dishes; violets (Viola odorata), Johnny Jump-Ups (Viola tricolor), and Pansies (Viola wittrockiana). Violas will grow in full sun, part shade and full shade garden spots, and typically self-seed readily in the victory garden. Most of the species violas have a sweet fragrance, although hybrid cultivars are often less fragrant. The colorful petals of the flowers were historically used to flavor and color homemade butter. Viola flowers are also edible accents for salads, sugared on cakes, or floated in punch and tea drinks.

Chamomile plants are leggy perennials with cheerful, daisy-like flowers that brighten any home landscape. Victory gardeners should grow chamomile plants in full sun and somewhat sandy soil (well-draining) and can harvest the flowers just before the petals droop when blooms are fully opened. Chamomile tea is a classic tonic drink for insomnia and to help aid in relaxation. Gardeners with severe seasonal allergies should avoid chamomile, however, as the pollen can be irritating to allergy sufferers. Chamomile flowers are said to have a flavor faintly similar to apples and the blooms dry well for long-term storage.

Chives are an upright growing herb with attractive, lavender flowers with an onion-like flavor. Both the leaves and the flowers are edible and used to add zesty, garlic-type flavor to stir-fry dishes, salads, omelet, potato meals, and cream cheese. Chives grow about 18" tall and are compact, ornamental flowers for the edible landscape. Some gardeners find that chives spread easily through their garden by seeding and rhizomatic runners. Grow chives in full sun enjoy the deer resistant plants in garden and kitchen alike.

Gardeners using edible flowers in their victory gardens and edible landscapes must make sure to avoid the use of harsh chemicals around plants they plan to harvest. Care should also be taken to make sure the plants obtained are indeed the edible plants, rather than non-edible plants that similar.

The copyright of the article Edible Flowers for Victory Garden Beauty in Perennial Plants is owned by Angela England. Permission to republish Edible Flowers for Victory Garden Beauty in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.