Don't stop to smell the roses, you can eat them too. The simple flower seeds that add energy and beauty to your garden are also fully edible and can be used to add flavor and vibrant color to food and drink.
However, before turning your garden into a pantry full of beautiful flowers, Erin Bunting, co-author of The Edible Flower, recommends spending some time observing the space and its conditions, including sunny and shady areas, wet and dry areas, and soil. . quality and health. If you have a vegetable garden, planting flowers around it will attract pollinators and prevent pests from eating your valuable fruits and vegetables. When the flowers begin to sprout, it is recommended to keep the plant moist, remove weeds and moderate the temperature of the soil.
And since you eat the flowers, Banting advises against treating the plants with inorganic pesticides or herbicides. Lauria Stern, author of Eat Your Flowers, recommends treating the buds like fresh herbs to extend their life after picking so they stay fresh and not dehydrated. "Wrap them in a damp paper towel, put them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge," she says.
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© iStock/iStock Rose petals can be added to sweet and savory dishes.1. roses
These romantic plants are easy to grow in containers or in the ground, as long as they get six or more hours of sun a day and well-drained soil. Cut them back in the spring so they bloom better in the summer. Dried petals are often added to sweets, but Stern says they're just as good in savory dishes. "In Persian culture, rose petals are placed on fried chicken or rice dishes," she says. "I also like to put it in rich yogurt sauces." Another option is to make rose salt, a favorite seasoning of Flower Products author Cassie Winslow, who uses it for an unexpected floral accent on potato chips and daisy glass rims.
© iStock/iStock In addition to the herb garden, you can also grow different types of flowers for consumption. 
© iStock/iStock These courgettes are garnished with edible thoughts and pea sprouts.2. Thoughts
Plant plenty of mature flowers in early spring or fall and you'll be rewarded with a month's worth of blooms. Most varieties prefer at least six hours of sun a day and well-drained soil. "When the buds are raw, they smell a bit like honey and have a pea and cinnamon flavor," says Stern, who uses the tender buds immediately after picking because they die off quickly. One of her favorite tricks is to click on cookies for a surprise factor.
© iStock/iStock Chamomile flowers grow well in full sun and are quite hardy.3. chamomile
You don't need a yard or garden for this tea-loving plant that grows well in pots. It loves sun and water, but it doesn't need special attention. Winslow, who likes to weave the flowers into apricot jam, muesli and chocolate pumpkin bread, says the white-petaled flowers with yellow-yellow centers add an earthy, honeyed touch to dishes.
© iStock/iStock Dahlia leaves can be used as an alternative to salads.4. Dahlias
The bulbs that produce these fascinating flowers should not be planted in the ground until after the last spring frosts have passed, and they grow best in locations well protected from morning sun and wind. Eight weeks later, you'll be rewarded with pom-pom-like flowers that appear in every color imaginable. Petals contain a large amount of liquid and are therefore not suitable for pressing or drying. "But its big leaves are great for a fresh salad like lettuce," says Stern.
© iStock/iStock Plant borage in late spring for best results. 
©iStock/iStock Borage flowers give it a vibrant color.5. more
"Once you plant borage, you'll probably always have borage because it's so easy to grow," says Bunting. Sow the seeds of an annual herb in late spring, in a container or directly into the ground, then sit back and watch it grow. Banting says her star-shaped periwinkle flowers have a refreshing cucumber flavor, and she likes adding them to salads, freezing them in ice cubes or adding them to gin and tonics.
© iStock/iStock Cornflowers come in a variety of colors.6. Blueberries
Plant these hardy annuals in spring in sunny soil for sky blue, maroon, white, purple or pink all summer long. Bunting describes the petals as having a slightly spicy clove smell. She likes to dry them in the dehydrator or in the oven on the lowest setting, then use them to decorate cakes and flavor rice dishes all year round.
© iStock/iStock Nasturtiums are so easy to grow that they "almost look like weeds," says author Loria Stern.7. capsule
"They're so easy to grow that they almost look like weeds," Stern says. Bright, bold, tubular flowers spread quickly and bloom profusely in full sun. The raw petals are tart, which is why Winslow likes to sprinkle them on tortillas, coleslaw, and tacos.
8. marigolds
Sow the seeds in a sunny or partially sunny spot after the last frost and you'll be rewarded all summer long. However, if snails and other pests are prevalent, Banting recommends planting plants indoors before they appear. These are cut flowers. So the more you collect, the more flowers you get, he says. Winslow loves the spicy note hidden in bright orange or sunny yellow flowers. "I like to mix the petals with fresh ricotta, put them on the pizza and then drizzle them with pesto," she says.
©iStock/iStock The more marigold flowers you collect, the more flowers will grow.