But you may not be able to find them in just any grocery store. Krishan Paul, owner of H2O Farms in Williamson County, grows edible flowers for distribution in some Nashville area food stores, usually from October through December. Edible flowers are nothing new to Paul, who has been growing them for a decade and eating them longer than that. His company, which also grows herbs, is one of six growers of edible flowers in Tennessee. The flowers, like the herbs, are picked early in the morning, packaged, and cooled immediately.
Nasturtiums are one of the more intensely colored edible flowers grown there.
Not all flowers, however, can be eaten. Flowers from bulbs often contain toxins that can make you very sick. Roses and gardenias have more flavor than pansies, violets, or johnny jump-ups. Mild flavored flowers, such as pansies, are more often crystallized and used as decorations on wedding cakes and party foods. They don't have a strong flavor that will compete with the dessert.