Flowers for edible gardens: combinations of species and colours for northwestern Italy

Flowers have been used for centuries to flavour and garnish food in several ancient cultures, both in Europe (Romans and Greeks) and Asia (Chinese and Indians). After a period of abandonment, the recent growing interest towards nutraceutical and functional food has revived the consumption of edible flowers. Edible flowers represent an important source of biologically active compounds with positive effects on consumer health. Flowers are in fact a source of mineral elements and phytochemicals with remarkable antioxidant activity. The Alcotra Fr-It 2014- 2020 ANTEA project aims at developing a transboundary supply chain (France-Italy) of edible flowers. The activities involve also the design and planning of new edible landscapes, i.e., multi-functional spaces with aesthetic value aimed to the production of edible flowers. In this report, we analysed and selected ornamental species with edible flowers suitable for garden design in northwestern Italy.