Potted Edible Flower Garden
May 04, 2016, Updated Apr 24, 2026
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Learn how to create a potted edible flower garden to use in recipes and as garnishes! Sharing the DIY and an edible flower chart as well as answering all of your edible flower questions!
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Pin ItAs you know, we love effortless, charming entertaining ideas here at Sugar and Charm!
One of the easiest ways to add a little charm to a dessert, salad, cocktail… even ice cubes is by using flowers. They add a pop of color and look gorgeous garnished on food and of course, you can even eat them!
Most people don’t have edible flowers on hand and many grocery stores don’t carry them. So instead of running all over town trying to find edible flowers when we throw a party, we’ve decided to make our own edible floral garden in beautiful pots!
Not only does it look stunning on our patio, but now I have access to the most beautiful edible flowers to use at any time!! It’s actually quite simple to do too!
How to Make an Edible Potted Floral Garden
Flowers
1. Purchase your flowers – There are several edible flowers you can buy, so use the chart below as a reference. Some are seasonal, so you can re-plant your floral garden with fresh flowers that will thrive during colder months too, like pansies!
Edible Flower List
This list and chart is to give you some ideas of what flowers are edible and what you can plant in your edible flower garden.
What kind of flowers can you eat?
Here is a list of flowers you can eat!
- Marigold
- Chive Blossoms
- Dianthus
- Camellia
- Apple Blossom
- Bachelors Button
- Lilac
- Roses
- Peony
- Lavender
- Pansy
- Nasturtium
- Viola
- Dahlia
- Daisy
- Calendula
For this garden, we used lavender, carnations, snapdragons, roses, violas, and primrose. All of them can be planted together, except for the roses.
Pots
Find some good pots to plant your garden in. We used a mix of white, modern pots and they look stunning on the patio, filled with flowers!
Drainage
If your pot doesn’t have drainage, add a nice layer of rocks (think 3 rocks high) to the bottom before you add the potting mix.
Organic Soil
Use an organic soil to plant the flowers since you will be using these for recipes and to garnish food.
Watering and Feeding your Flowers
Next, water your flowers! To give them a little boost, add organic flower food to the soil which instantly feeds the leaves and roots for spectacular flowers!
Flowers and herbs all potted and ready to be used for cooking and entertaining! Hopefully, this inspires you to make a garden of your own! It’s so easy!!
How to Store Edible Flowers After Picking
Once you’ve picked edible flowers, they should be stored right away to keep them fresh and looking their best.
Gently place the flowers in a shallow container lined with a slightly damp paper towel. Cover them loosely with another paper towel or a lid, then store in the refrigerator.
They’re delicate, so avoid stacking or crowding them. Most edible flowers will stay fresh for about 2 to 5 days when stored this way.
FAQs
Pansies, Lavender, Lilacs, Violet, and Dandelions all grow in a beautiful purple shade.
Your local nursery will sell flowers that you can plant. Your selection will depend on the season it is and your location. Buy organic flowers if possible.
Yes, edible flowers can be frozen and are perfect for making decorative ice cubes. Freezing them in water helps preserve their shape and color, making them ideal for cocktails, mocktails, and entertaining.
To make flower ice cubes, place a clean edible flower into each compartment of an ice cube tray. Fill halfway with water and freeze. Once frozen, add more water to fully cover the flower and freeze again. This two-step method helps keep the flowers centered and looking their best.
Use the cubes in drinks, punch bowls, or even to chill a bottle of wine. It’s an easy way to add a thoughtful, elevated touch without any extra effort.
The best option is to grow your own so you know exactly how they’ve been handled and can pick them fresh when you need them.
If you’re not growing them, there are a few good places to find edible flowers:
Farmers markets – This is one of the best sources. Many local growers sell flowers specifically for culinary use, and you can ask how they were grown.
Grocery stores (produce section) – Some stores carry small containers of edible flowers near the herbs, especially in spring and summer.
Specialty or natural food stores – These are more likely to carry organic, food-safe flowers
Online shops and farms – You can order fresh or dried edible flowers directly from growers if they’re not available locally
Recipes That Use Edible Flowers
Lemon Bars – My favorite recipe for lemon bars. Top them with edible flowers for added charm!
I hope you’re inspired to make your own garden! They truly make desserts, cocktails, and salads so beautiful! Let us know what you think in the comments below and tag @sugarandcharm on social so we can see your photos!!
Can you tell us where you purchased the awesome planters?
Yes! They’re from Modernica in Los Angeles!!
My daughter is obsessed with the concept of eating flowers! I potted some violets for her and now she keeps asking to pick them so she can have them at every meal! I will need to save this chart so I can grow more for her. They make everything look so pretty and fancy!
That is so cute of her!! She cares about the presentation, adorable!! Yes, make a edible garden with her!!
Thank you SO much!!! I LOVE having edible flowers on hand to quickly add a little charm to my dishes!! You’re going to love it 🙂 XO
This is so clever, and so gorgeous! I am so inspired – think of the cake decorating possibilities here!
Everything about this post is beautiful! I dream of having a backyard for flowers like those one day! I’ll stick to the lemon bars for now! 🙂
Xx Kaylee
http://www.theblondielocks.com/
Thank you Kaylee!! They would look great on a patio or porch too!! One day I want to do an entire edible raised bed garden in my backyard!! AND yes, try those lemon bars! They’re the BEST!!! XOXO
Wow! What an incredibly lovely post and set of images. Also LOVE the lemon bars with flowers on top SO much!!
Thank you Katherine!!! I’m obsessed with edible flowers!! Haha!!! AND if you love lemon bars TRY that recipe! It’s SO good 🙂