You're probably well aware that we live in a world full of edible plants. After all, we are supposed to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But did you know that many common flowers are edible as well?

They can be candied, used for tasty garnishes, added to soups and salads, or made into jelly, syrup, honey, vinegar and even flavored liquors.

People in ancient Roman, Chinese and Indian cultures regularly consumed flowers, and, in Victorian times, flowers were utilized as fancy garnishes to enhance both the look and flavor of many different types of foods. Here is a list of just a few flowers, their flavors and how they can be used:

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) -- tangy taste, use in soups, souffles and rice dishes.

Day lily (Hemerocallis fulva) -- when cooked, tastes like a cross between zucchini and asparagus; use in soups and pasta dishes.

Nasturtium (Tropaeoleum majus) -- peppery, mustard-like flavor, use in salads or as a garnish for soups or casseroles.

Tulip -- slightly sweet, use as a garnish for desserts or salads.

Squash (Cucurbita spp.) -- squash-like flavor; stuff, cook and serve, deep fry or slice and use in soups or salads.

Violet (Viola oderata) -- best used sugared, as a garnish but can also be used in salads.

Before you take a bite, there are a few safety guidelines to follow:

Make sure you know what kind of flower it is. Not all are edible, and some are, in fact, highly toxic.

Only organically grown flowers should be consumed. This eliminates flowers from nurseries and florists, as well as those picked along roadsides, (which can contain pesticides and automobile emissions).

Eat only the petals. The pollen-bearing inside parts of flowers can wreak havoc on allergy sufferers and are typically quite bitter-tasting.

Want to grow your own? Flowers for consumption are grown the same way that you would grow ornamental flowers: in well drained, near neutral pH soil, with plenty of sunlight.

Like ornamentals, edible flowers can be grown in the ground or in containers; the only difference is that no pesticides should be used on plants whose flowers you are planning to eat.

There are several easy ways to control (not eliminate) insect pests without using chemicals. These include: hand-picking insects from plants, growing a wide variety of plants in the same plot, and introducing beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and praying mantises to your garden. These helpful insects are available at most garden centers and love to gorge on detrimental insects, like aphids.

As soon as your plants begin to flower, you can begin to harvest. Pick flowers during the coolest part of the day (early morning after dew has evaporated.) To ensure the maximum amount of flavor, pick flowers that are at their peak as opposed to past their prime, or not fully open.

Long-stemmed flowers should be kept in a container of water until use, while short-stemmed types can be stored in a plastic bag (with a few wet paper towels inside) in the refrigerator for a few hours. All flowers should be used the day that you pick them, unless you take steps to preserve them.

The shelf-life of flowers can easily be extended by "candying" them using powdered, pasteurized egg-whites (to avoid food poisoning), which can be obtained at specialty bakery stores.

Simply mix the egg-white powder with water and brush it onto each flower. Coat them in sugar and store them in an air-tight container.

For more information on growing edible flowers, look for these books at the library:

"Edible Flowers" by Kitty Morse (Ten Speed Press, 1995). Billed as a "kitchen companion," this wonderful book contains collection and preparation information, color pictures and lots of recipes.

"The Edible Flower Garden" by Rosalind Creasy (Periplus Editions, 2000). This colorful book emphasizes the creation of an edible flower garden. It also includes an interview with a chef from a fancy restaurant, revealing more flower-growing secrets and recipes.