Edible Flowers

Nigella “Persian Jewels” bears delicate, old-fashioned flowers of red, rose pink, blue, deep violet-blue and white open a pale colour but mature to their intense, pure shades, each backed by a wispy, bright green ruff. Viewed from afar the flowers look as though they really are floating in a mist.

Pepper ‘Picante a Mazzetti’ produces attractive cone shaped, chillies which grow vertically with many fruits per bunch. known as 'Bouquet di Peperoncini', they mature to a festive, deep scarlet red, and have a multitude of ornamental as well as edible uses. Sown May to June they will produce fruits in perfect time for Christmas.

Rosemary can be used for ornamental, culinary and medicinal purposes. The aromatic, evergreen shrub, native to the dry hills of southern Europe and North Africa, can be grown as a clipped hedge, along the edge of a retaining wall, pruned and shaped as topiaries and as a container patio plant.

Salvia sclarea var. turkestanica 'Vatican White' is a choice white cultivar that is not that easy to find. A nobly architectural Sage, each of its branched stems is topped with a profusion of lilac-white blossoms and brilliant white bracts. The flowers are attractive and are boosted in impact by the large petioles that surround them.

This hardy biennial Sage has been grown in almost every botanical sanctuary in human history and has many plus points: it grows well in poor soil resists slugs and other beasties, and doesn’t slump or need staking. It copes well in sun or light shade and the blooms are a magnet for bees and butterflies.

Spilanthes acmella is a unique and versatile plant that will add texture and interest to your garden. Used by herbalists, the pretty yellow and red cone-shaped flowers and leaves have properties similar to Echinacea and has numbing properties when the leaves and flowers are chewed.

Sweet Cicely is an attractive plant that is a striking component of herb gardens and hedgerows. Growing to around 90cm, umbels of tiny white flowers appear from spring to early summer. Formerly a widely cultivated culinary herb, the fern-like leaves are deeply divided and smell of aniseed when crushed.

Easy to grow and quick to flower, French Marigold 'Tangerine' blooms reliably throughout the summer with vivid orange flowers that are lifted high atop lush, scented foliage. The plant is famously used in companion planting and for making flower garlands.

Thymus serpyllum is one of the most versatile groundcovers. Forming dense evergreen cushions of flowers these low maintenance plants don’t require mowing, watering or care, and can take a lot of abuse. Its leaves can be used as a culinary herb and its uses in the garden are almost unlimited.

Nasturtium ‘Gleam Hybrids’ is a moderate spreading variety and the variety we would recommend for hanging baskets and for containers. They offer a particularly nice colour selection with all the shades you expect, primrose, gold, orange, red and mahogany plus a few surprises.

Nasturtium Empress of India is a classic Victorian variety with opulent, velvet crimson-scarlet flowers and impressive dark blue-green foliage. The unusual leaf colour makes it an interesting plant even before it begins to bloom. Very easy to grow and perfect for pots, tubs, window boxes or the border.

Viola 'F1 Sorbet Hybrids' are a unique miniature hybrid that combines the charm of violas with the explosive colours of pansies. The series has some of the most amazing colour selections you'll ever see.

The legendary fragrant sweet violet: Viola odorata is often referred to as 'The King of Violets', with a beautiful fragrance and also several herbal uses. An excellent wild/woodland garden plant, it can be found near the edges of forests or in clearings.