What's Edible in the Garden? More Than You Might Think

Indigenous peoples from all over the world long ago attained the necessary knowledge to go out into the wilds and gather food for their survival.

There are still vestiges of these forager habits that we read about from time to time when there is a news story about some New York City naturalist/forager who takes a group of city dwellers into Central Park or Prospect Park to peruse the urban woods and meadows for things edible.

There are probably plants on your property that you never thought of as edible that are actually quite tasty and healthy. Plants grown primarily for the enjoyment of their buds, flowers and foliage may not only look nice, but they may also taste great when used as a garnish or to add a new flavor to a dish.

It was an offer to trial some new plants from Proven Winners that brought me back to this topic and opened my mind a little bit. Next year, Proven Winners will begin to offer a new line of roses. Yes, they have very attractive flowers that are said to be quite fragrant but this new offering in a line called Flavorette (Rosa x Boznatafra) is a Honey-Apricot rose that is purported to have great disease resistance, doesn’t require deadheading to rebloom, is said to bloom all summer and whose flowers are edible. In fact, as the entire Flavorette line is rolled out you’ll find several offerings in this group whose flowers are intended to be eaten as well as gazed upon (maybe also glazed upon).

This rose will be released for retail sale in 2024 but hopefully by the end of this summer I’ll have enough experience with the three going into the trial garden that I’ll be able to offer an evaluation. I’m reminded of rose hips, the fruits that develop after the rose flowers. Think of the Rosa rugosa fruits that can be an inch in diameter. These have long been a staple for those seeking a natural source of vitamin C, for which the rose fruit, or hip, is renowned.

Roses are actually only one of nearly a dozen or so flowers or plant parts that many grow to use in cooking and as a garnish when preparing a meal. Most are easily grown, and you may already have them in your garden or planned for your garden. However, there is one thing you need to keep in mind when growing plants that you may end up eating. Be very, very careful what you spray on them. No chemical-based pesticides such as insect killers or disease control. For these plants, organic methods are mandatory.

If it’s a color that you want to add to your plate or salad offerings, the Hudson Valley Seed Company (hudsonvalleyseed.com) has a list of suggestions that you might want to investigate, and it’s not too late to try one or all of them. In Asian greens they suggest Rainbow Tatsoi, Scarlet Red Tatsoi and Red Giant Mustard. Other “greens” recommended include Bull’s Red Beet, Rainbow Chard, Merlot Lettuce, Really Red Deer Tongue lettuce, Ruby Red Orach, Siber Frills kale and Rainbow Lacinato kale. If you’ve got the space for growing corn you can try Double Red Sweet Corn and Japonica Striped Corn. For peppers, there’s the Hungarian Hot Wax, Lemon Drop Hot, Joe’s Cayenne and Matchbox. For tomatoes with interesting colors, there’s Mandurang Moon, Summer Sunrise and Roughwood Golden Plum. There’s also Golden Giant Amaranth, New Mexico Amaranth, Okra Burgunda and a watermelon called Golden Mini.

Hudson Valley also offers an edible flower seed mix, which includes the following: Viola with a lettuce-like flavor. Chamomile that has notes of apple, honey and grass and is used as a tea or syrup. Marigolds that have a bright and subtle peppery flavor and can be added to shortbreads, cookies and other deserts or added to flavor and color broths. Hibiscus flowers are tart like cranberries and can be used as dried petals, in punches or in a tea. Pea flowers, which are mild, crisp and have a nutty flavor — but NOT the flowers of sweet peas, only the flowers of edible pea types. Sweet pea flowers can be poisonous. Borage tastes like cucumber and can be frozen in ice cubes for drinks or put in candies, desserts and salads. Nigella has a mild flavor and the petals are like toasted onion-flavored seeds and can be used in curries, omelets and bakes. Calendula flower petals are mild with a touch of bitterness toward the end and can be added to salads, cakes and marmalades. Lastly, there are the Brassicas, which can be used to wrap soft cheeses or spreads with arugula or mustard flowers. Kale can be sautéed or roasted with mustard and broccoli flowers.

Don’t forget Oswego tea. This is made from Monarda didyma, or bee balm, which is a hardy perennial that’s a magnificent pollinator plant. The tea can be made from the leaves and the flowers, but the most potent tea comes from the leaves. The tea has a minty flavor and has been passed on to us from the Oswego tribe of the Iroquois Native Americans and was passed on to the colonists who used it widely for a number of maladies.

Squash blossoms, both winter and summer, are edible and have a mild and delicate taste similar to the squash. Remember though, if you get carried away you’ll have no squash unless you learn how to harvest only the male blossoms. The blooms can be eaten raw (check inside for bees and bugs first though) in salads, sautéed, stuffed or fried.

There are two ways to determine if a squash bloom is a male or female. One way is to look at the stem. The male’s stem is long and thin and inside the flower you’ll see a long narrow protrusion that will be the pollen-covered anther. There are also more male flowers than females. The female’s flower stem is swollen and looks like a baby squash. The middle of the flower is wider and more orange around the top with the stigma in the center looking like a mini flower.

Nasturtiums not only look great in the garden but every part of the plant is edible and full of vitamins and minerals. The flowers are often used as a garnish but they can also be used as a pesto, as nasturtium butter, in breads and rolls, in salads adding greens and orange colors. The leaves can be stuffed, used as mini wraps and in a nasturtium and grape jelly.

There’s a great opportunity here to expand your gardening and culinary skills. If you’re not a wiz in the kitchen maybe it’s a chance to hook up with a friend who cooks or your spouse who is a marvel in the kitchen but not so much in the garden. Just another wonderful way to keep growing.