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

A feast for more than just the eyes, certain edible flowers can add a colorful, antioxidant-rich finishing touch to summer salads, soups, and cocktails.

While you can find these bright little numbers at the farmer’s market and some grocery stores, growing them at home is all the more rewarding. Picking edible flowers from your own organic garden is often the safer move too, as you’ll be confident that they were grown without chemical herbicides or pesticides. However, as always, you’ll want to be confident a flower is actually edible before you pop it on your plate. (If you aren’t sure, skip it!) You should also gently wash all your flowers before consuming them and try a small bite of any new petal at first, just in case you’re allergic.

Harvest your flowers in the morning, right after they’ve bloomed but before they start wilting, for the freshest taste. Eat immediately or store in a refrigerated container, resting on a moist paper towel, until you’re ready to serve.

When choosing which pick-and-eat flowers to plant in your garden, Allison Vallin Kostovick, the organic gardener behind Finch & Folly farm in Maine, says the more the merrier. Planting multiple varieties ups your odds that at least one will produce an edible haul, even if wonky weather hits.

Here are a few starter options to look into—all of which taste as lush as they look.