Garden food: 7 flowers you didn't know you can eat

Everyone loves flowers, well almost. They are used for various purposes. You can use them for decoration, gifts, and they can also be eaten. Yes, eaten!  A lot of pretty looking flowers are edible. Now before you venture out to your garden to pick some blooms to include in your dinner, take a look at the list of these commonly found edible flowers that are just delicious.

<p>Jasmines are very popular for their intense fragrance. They have been traditionally used for scenting tea. You can also use them in, sweet dishes. But be careful while picking these flowers as only the species Jasminum sambac can be eaten and all other Jasmine types are poisonous.</p>

Jasmines are very popular for their intense fragrance. They have been traditionally used for scenting tea. You can also use them in, sweet dishes. But be careful while picking these flowers as only the species Jasminum sambac can be eaten and all other Jasmine types are poisonous.

<p>Lavender has a sweet floral flavour with a faintly citrus hint, which can be a great addition to both sweet and savoury dishes. You can put them on a chocolate cake, in a glass of champagne, or use them as garnish for ice creams. These flowers will lend a mysterious scent and a lingering taste.</p>

Lavender has a sweet floral flavour with a faintly citrus hint, which can be a great addition to both sweet and savoury dishes. You can put them on a chocolate cake, in a glass of champagne, or use them as garnish for ice creams. These flowers will lend a mysterious scent and a lingering taste.

<p>Lilacs don't just smell amazing but have an overwhelming taste too. Scattering them on fresh green salads can make the dish delicious. One or two of this bloom, added to a summer punch, may taste quite refreshing. It is best used as garnish. Try mixing them with frozen yogurt for a delicious treat.</p>

Lilacs don't just smell amazing but have an overwhelming taste too. Scattering them on fresh green salads can make the dish delicious. One or two of this bloom, added to a summer punch, may taste quite refreshing. It is best used as garnish. Try mixing them with frozen yogurt for a delicious treat.

<p>You can eat both the leaves and flowers of violets. The flavour of the leaves may be mild to bland, but the flowers taste sweet. You can add them to your salads, crystallize them in candies and make jellies from them. You can add them to vinegar for colour and fragrance or ferment them to produce sweet wine.</p>

You can eat both the leaves and flowers of violets. The flavour of the leaves may be mild to bland, but the flowers taste sweet. You can add them to your salads, crystallize them in candies and make jellies from them. You can add them to vinegar for colour and fragrance or ferment them to produce sweet wine.

<p>All types of roses are edible. You have to remove the bitter white base, and the rest intensely perfumed petals can render a perfect flavour to anything from desserts to drinks. You can also have rose petals raw in salads, in creamy sauces or after cooking in soups.</p>

All types of roses are edible. You have to remove the bitter white base, and the rest intensely perfumed petals can render a perfect flavour to anything from desserts to drinks. You can also have rose petals raw in salads, in creamy sauces or after cooking in soups.

<p>Squash blossoms are delicious edible flowers with a mild squashy flavour. Remove the stamens of the flower, and you can cook them or eat them raw. You can also batter-fry them with delicious items like goat cheese or herbs, bake them or cook them in soups, burritos etc.</p>

Squash blossoms are delicious edible flowers with a mild squashy flavour. Remove the stamens of the flower, and you can cook them or eat them raw. You can also batter-fry them with delicious items like goat cheese or herbs, bake them or cook them in soups, burritos etc.

<p>As the name itself suggests, these flowers have a sweet honey-like flavour. The long flower tubes of Honeysuckle are edible but be careful not to eat the berries or any other part of the plant as they can be extremely poisonous. Adding this flower can make your salads as well as desserts scrumptious.</p>

As the name itself suggests, these flowers have a sweet honey-like flavour. The long flower tubes of Honeysuckle are edible but be careful not to eat the berries or any other part of the plant as they can be extremely poisonous. Adding this flower can make your salads as well as desserts scrumptious.