Edible flowers

Apr 30, 2026

For many gardeners every square inch is valuable and so it is always nice when you can grow everything you want on it and also have it looking good at the same time. Other than just being purely ornamental and only something that belongs in a vase or along the edge of a garden bed hiding an ugly compost pile, edible flowers can be a useful addition to a farmer or a gardener. Over generations and across different cultures, flowers have found their way onto our meals and drinks for flavour, texture and even for their nutritional value.

Some flowers like lavender have a light sweetness that brings a subtle floral note to teas and desserts, others like arugula flowers are slightly bitter or peppery, adding a slight kick to salads and simple dishes. Some like chive blossoms are used fresh due to their mild onion-like flavour, others like the elderflower are dried first before being used to infuse drinks or syrups, and a few like hibiscus and basil flowers can be steeped into teas or infused into oils. The great thing about edible flowers is how just a small handful can completely change a dish without overpowering it, and can also add an unexpected flavour that can make your food or drink taste even better without needing much else.

At the farm, we also value all the spaces we have, and the difficulty of growing anything in this part of the Kalahari desert makes it even more important to be intentional with what we plant or raise. We have always said that anything that we choose to plant here has to be useful and has to play a role in the ecosystem. We have been lucky with our growing list of edible flowers. So far we have sunflower, lavender, chive blossoms, thyme, moringa blossoms, elderflower, arugula flowers, basil flowers. All these are used in different ways like adding them to teas, using them in simple salads, or incorporating them into meals at the restaurant. We are always assessing what is growing and asking what else it can do. A plant that is decorative and also useful in other ways, like an edible flower, naturally earns its place here.

Of course, not every flower is edible and it is very important to know which ones are safe to use and how to prepare them properly. Once you begin to understand which ones can be consumed, it opens up a whole different way of seeing the garden. Now you can have a beautiful space that can not only add colour, but also support pollinators, contribute to meals and overall wellness, and even play a big role in natural pest control.

Edible flowers may not be something you reach for every day, but it is good to know that they are there when you need them. It is a nice reminder that there is abundance in nature and that food does not have to look a certain way to be edible. It also makes you wonder what else is edible that we have never thought of as food. Here at Gobelo we continue to ask ourselves this question every day, and we keep experimenting to see what else we can learn and use.

What flowers have you eaten lately and which ones do you grow in your garden or are planning to grow? Feel free to share that and your recipes as well. We might just try it.

 Until next time,
   the Gobelo Team