Top a cake with pansies. Just snip the stems short and arrange them close together on a layer cake or cupcakes. Sprinkle bright yellow nasturtium petals over an omelette made with watercress and ricotta. Add colour and flavour to a simple mixed-green salad with edible flowers such as nasturtiums, borage and calendula. Make sure to toss the salad with vinaigrette before adding blossoms, to prevent sogginess.
Snapdragons serve as dramatic stirrers for cocktails.
Attach a flower's stem to a glass stirrer with a length of fishing line. Float pansies in herbal tea or punches. Larger flowers can be used, with petals intact, as elegant containers for simple foods. For a bridal shower, try a blossom filled with crabmeat or tuna salad for an elegant presentation. Spicy hibiscus can serve as a pretty cup for sorbet.