7 Edible Flowers That Belong In Your Garden (And On Your Plate)

A feast for not just the eyes, certain edible flowers can add a colorful, antioxidant finish to summer salads, soups and cocktails.

While you can find these glowing little numbers in the farmer's market and some grocery stores, they are all the more rewarding to grow at home. Picking edible flowers from your own organic garden is often the safer step too, as you can be sure that they have been grown without chemical herbicides or pesticides. As always, however, you should be sure that a flower is actually edible before placing it on your plate. (If you're not sure, skip it!) You should also gently wash all of your flowers before consuming them, and try a small bite of a new petal first just in case you're allergic.

Harvest your flowers in the morning, right after they bloom, but before they start to wither, for the freshest taste. Eat immediately or let rest in a chilled container on a damp paper towel until serving.

Allison Vallin Kostovick, the organic gardener at Finch & Folly Farm in Maine, says the more the better when choosing which pick-and-eat flowers to plant in your yard. Planting multiple varieties will increase your chances of producing at least one edible crop even if the weather is unsafe.

Here are a few starter options to check out – all of them taste as filling as they look.