Flowers are often referred to as the ornamentals of the garden, but they’re not just for show. As well as attracting (and deterring) insects, improving pollination, providing free fertiliser and cut flowers, many of our beautiful blooms are also edible.

Violets, roses and lavender flowers have long been used in tinctures, teas and tonics but many other flowers – some of which we might consider discarding such as brassica blooms and weeds - can be just as good on the plate as they can in the plot. Add more of these double-duty plants to your garden for instant colour and culinary uses.

How to harvest

It’s best to pick edible flowers in the morning, before the sun’s rays dry them out. Pop them into a tupperware container in the fridge to keep fresh.

The petals are the best bits – stems, stamens and all the other stringy bits can taste bitter. The exception to this is nasturtium and pansy, which can be eaten whole.

Always properly ID flowers before eating them: if in doubt, don’t eat! Many flowers such as daffodil, poppy, foxglove, clematis, larkspur and hydrangea are very poisonous, and if you suffer from hayfever or allergies, edible flowers are best avoided.

Add them to your diet gradually, and - as they’re an important source of nectar and pollen for bees and other insects - ensure you share the rest of the blooms with nature.

Here’s some of our favourite flowers to feast on…

· Borage (Borago officinalis)

These cobalt blue flowers have a faint taste of cucumber. They’re perfect frozen into ice cubes for summer cocktails or crystallized for cake decorations.

How to grow: Sow 0.5cm deep in rows in a sunny site, or scatter the seed and rake in. Borage will readily self-seed, so you get new plants each year.

· Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

The peppery leaves, flowers and stems of this plant are all edible. Even the seed heads can be pickled like capers. The brightly coloured flowers look wonderful dropped into a green salad or stuffed with cream cheese. Pick flowers throughout the summer for immediate use, just after they open fully. Keep picking and remove seed heads to encourage more flowers.

How to grow: Sow 1.5cm deep in pots or rows in a sunny site. Thin or transplant seedings to 20cm apart. Nasturtium plants grown in very fertile soil are likely to grow lots of leaves but not many flowers.

· Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis)

The open flowers of calendula are said to forecast a fine day ahead – and you can add a spot of sunshine to butters and cheeses, with a scattering of the bright-orange petals (known as ‘poor man’s saffron’). Pick flowers just as they open in summer for fresh use and for drying. Deadheading encourages a continuous harvest.

How to grow: Calendula tolerates a wide range of soils but prefers a sunny position. Direct sow seeds in spring, after the last frost. Transplant seedlings to 20cm apart.

· Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

Spicy, almost clove-like in flavour, cornflower petals can be used as confetti over pasta or iced cakes. They’re especially striking if you grow lots of different colours.

How to grow: Easy to grow from seed sown either in late summer or in mid-spring. They like a well-drained sunny site and will grow on almost any soil. (Don’t pick wild cornflowers – they are an important part of the wildflower meadow ecosystem).

· Pinks (Dianthus spp)

Flowers should be picked when first open and the white base removed. They taste spicy and can be added to salads, sugar syrups or pickled in vinegar.

How to grow: As a hardy perennial, pinks are best grown in a sunny, sheltered, well-drained position in poor soil. They’re easily propagated from seed and stem cuttings.

· Brassicas

Veg gone to seed? Don’t worry! The small yellow flowers of broccoli, cauliflower and mustard have a gentle spiciness and are delicious in salads or stir-fries.

How to grow: Best grown in rich soil, in sun or partial shade. Head to gardenorganic.org.uk/grow-guides for more growing advice.

· Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Don’t forget about your weeds! This yellow flower tastes of honey if picked young (it turns bitter when mature), and can be made into tea, wine and beer. Coat fully open flowers with chickpea flour batter, mixed with a pinch of garam masala, and shallow fry for dandelion bhajis.

How to grow: Dandelions will readily grow in most soils. Leave some blossoms as an early nectar source for emerging insects.

For more advice about organic food growing - whatever your space or experience - head to gardenorganic.org.uk, where you can also find out how to support the charity by becoming a member and gain many member benefits.