Best edibles for beds and cut flowers?

[Jayb]

Talking about carrot and parsnip flowers got me thinking about what other gorgeous crops we grow that are good for flowers and cutting?
I've always thought fartychokes when they flower are lovely, even if the flowers are almost with the gods. Sunflowers, calendula, sage, coriander are lovely too.
I think I'd like to do a small edible bed?


I wasn't quite sure where to put this thread, edible or not?

[Jayb]

[ed dibbles]

Globe artichokes fit both your criteria. And yacon flowers are similar to jeruselem artichoke flowers, a little more refined perhaps.

I'd also suggest chicory, salsify (I grow this as an ornamental anyway. The flowers have a vanilla fragrance) amaranth, even lettuce (normal and chinese) produce worthwhile flowers.

Broad beans are my favourite veg flowers. Radish flowers are good too and not forgetting oca.

Oh and don't forget dandelions! (blanched early in the season makes an excellent salad leaf. And so much easier to grow than witloof chicory!

[Jayb]

Cheers for the suggestions, I think Yacon would definitely need to be at the back and possibly too much of a thug, but the flowers are lovely and a welcome treat late in the year. Good one, radish flowers and pods are very pretty  . I think I have seeds for Chicory and amaranth, I know I have some Salsify. I'll skip on Dandylions, enough here already!

[markfield rover]

I love the flowers of rocket and garlic chives and as for leeks and onions well you would pay a fortune in a florist. I was pleasantly pleased when some wheat germinated on the plot and when they were tall enough with a green hue  looked great in vase. Makes a good alternative to scent less roses from across the world. And asparagus !

[galina]

Salsify is a good idea, but even more useful and very decorative, is scorzonera.  This flowers yellow and some flowers are doubles, very showy.  The good thing with scorzonera is that the roots are still useable after flowering, in fact, if your soil does not produce perfect roots like those on light sandy loam, then 2 year roots are a much better bet anyway.  The roots are much larger and even if you only get some of them out due to clay soil,  those make a really good vegetable.

How about a runnerbean walk.  8ft poles either side of a path with shorter ones bridging the top and then growing white, pink, red and red and white runnerbeans either side of the path.  Very pretty.

Peas and beans are showy in their different flower and pod colours too.

How about perfumed edibles?  Flowering beetroot has a wonderfully sweet scent and so do broad beans. 

I love my 3-cornered leeks, but you get the same pretty white flowers from wild garlic too.

Kales look good over winter and come in all shades of green or purple.  The variegated Daubenton's which is green with white leaf margins is spectacularly good looking. (let me know if you would like some sideshoots to root). 

I often use a branch of rosemary in a spring flower bouquet.  Looks good, lasts a long time in the vase - and gets my bush trimmed.  And the recipient can use it for their roast chickens too.

[squeezyjohn]

The bread seed poppies sold by real seeds are beautiful ... unfortunately like all poppies the flowers don't last much longer than a couple of weeks - but they are a glorious dark pinky lavender colour and make nice tasting poppy seeds.

Orach is a nice edible ... not a flower but beautiful dark red tall foliage and could look nice in an arrangement.

I know it's not an edible ... but at a push it's a "consumable" ... Nicotiana tabacum makes glorious 6 foot high plants with amazing pink trumpet flowers that smell gorgeous ... and the leaves have another use.

Some of the red and pink flowered peas almost have a sweet-pea quality to them ... although you obviously have to choose between the flowers and the pods!

[Digeroo]

Some of the pink/purple flowered peas are gorgeous.  I had an argument with someone who was adamant they were sweet peas and I should not eat them. 

What about dahlias?

Some of the brassicas are lovely.  I like the white flowered ones.  And the leaves of red mustard are very attractive.

What about Blue Danube potatoes their flowers are exquisite though not for picking.

The flowers of chicory are lovely not sure if they keep if picked.

Poppies many thanks I had forgotten to sow.

[GrannieAnnie]

How about nasturtiums: flowers are very pretty added to salad though not for a bouquet and Red  loose leaf lettuce.

[Silverleaf]

How about violets and pansies?

Lavender's edible too, and very tasty. I make a lavender cake with the leaves, but it's also good in scones and biscuits, and it's great with chicken. I put three small sprigs on top of a chicken breast and wrap it in unsmoked bacon, season with black pepper, and roast until done, adding a bit of grated cheese over the top during the last 10 minutes or so. Tastes a lot like rosemary, but milder and a bit more floral.

[artichoke]

At the back of a border, leeks and elephant garlics are statuesque and beautiful, and bumble bees go mad for them. Same goes for ordinary garlics with wavy tormented scapes. (And the eventual leek seeds are very useful the following spring).

In fact, I have talked myself into doing it! Thanks for the idea.

[chriscross1966]

Coming at it from another angle, what about scentdd leaf pelargoniums?... go for something like Orange Fizz, Chocolate Mint, or Attar of Roses and you can process the leaves to make cordials and you get the pretty flowers too...