Eat your Flowers
Veggie Offline
Super Pest Controller
#1
I mentioned on the NOMAD thread that I'd picked some Daylily leaves to eat and JJB was curious.Wink

Hemerocallis/Day lilies are practically 100% edible - leaves, flowers and roots. I have eaten them at all stages, though I wouldn't eat the roots again as I don't like "killing" a perennial plant for its roots.  Don't remember being very impressed with them anyway!! They're in my "only if starving" category.

Please don't eat anything unusual unless you are 100% sure you know what it is - these are NOT lilies, some of which are poisonous to humans, cats and dogs! Research it first before you try.

On a more general note, I'm trying to grow more edible flowers in the garden - to me that would be the best of all worlds - beautiful and edible.
If there are any flowers that you regularly eat, please tell us about them.
The Moneyless Chicken says:- 
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
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Small chilli Offline
Super Pest Controller
#2
Just the usual suspects
Nasturtium, chives, garlic chives, wild garlic, viola , pansy, radish & rocket.
Builder that would like to go play in the garden.
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JJB Offline
Moonraker
#3
Nothing against eating flowers, just not a salad fan, so not much call for them in my kitchen. Nasturtiums are tasty but I fail to grow them successfully. Courgette flowers are useful, plus herb flowers. Thanks for explaining about hemerocallis.
Gardening is an excuse not to do housework
Greetings from Salisbury
Qualified member of the Confused Nutter's Club 
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Eyren Offline
Hardy perennial
#4
I grow a fair number of edible flowers - roses, pansies, marigolds, borage - but I tend to leave them for the bees rather than eating them. While they look pretty in photos, in practice they'd get rather lost in the huge salads I make!
How much veg and wildlife can I pack into a 6m x 8m garden in suburban Cambridge? Let’s find out!  Smile
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Bren Offline
Member
#5
(02-04-2021, 10:15 PM)Small chilli Wrote: Just the usual suspects
Nasturtium, chives, garlic chives, wild garlic, viola , pansy,  radish & rocket.

My list is the same as yours SC
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Mark_Riga Offline
Member from Cheshire
#6
I like the taste of nasturtium flowers but nearly every one I have picked, a little black beetle is found in it that I feel sorry for.
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Veggie Offline
Super Pest Controller
#7
Perhaps I should have been clearer about "eating flowers". I don't mean just the flower heads/petals but other part of the plant that are edible or have a culinary use.
Like Day lilies with their edible flowers, leaves and roots, there are other plants that are normally grown just for their flowers but have wider uses. For example, dahlias have edible roots, fuchsias have berries and we all know that nasturtiums have flowers, leaves and seedpods.

I'm checking my garden plants out on PFAF https://pfaf.org/user/default.aspx to see if they have a use that I don't know about.
Montbretia flowers, apparently, can be used as food and dye colouring - this is not enough to persuade me they can stay.

Same with Vinca, https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Vinca+major Not edible and its only saving grace is that the stems can be used to make baskets!!! So its days are numbered.
The Moneyless Chicken says:- 
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
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Small chilli Offline
Super Pest Controller
#8
I ripped out loads of periwinkle ( vinca ) last week. I wondered if it could be used for weaving. It’s a thug, I don’t like it, and it’s difficult to get out.

I really want to grow & try day lilies .
Builder that would like to go play in the garden.
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Scarlet Offline
Super Pest Controller
#9
I'll send you a clump when you are ready for them? They multiply quite quickly. I have plenty of orange ones ( happy to post some) and I was gifted some black ones from Spec Smile they are settling in nicely.
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Veggie Offline
Super Pest Controller
#10
Day Lily info:-

https://pfaf.org/user/cmspage.aspx?pageid=63
The Moneyless Chicken says:- 
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.
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