Our collections aren't just ornamental - many are good enough to eat too! Amongst the 650 odd collections there are the obvious food plants like Malus (apples, crabapples) and herbs (thyme, rosemary), but there are also plants that were once important culinary ingredients in this country or are food staples in their homelands.

If you've got an unusual recipe - send it to us! email us at info@plantheritage.org.uk

In the meantime, here are a few delicious and unusual ideas ...

Rose scented pelargonium cake
Ingredients
150 ml whipping cream
150 ml sugar
1 large or 2 small eggs
200g wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla sugar
A handful of fresh leaves from a rose scented pelargonium
Glaze
100g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1-2 tbsp water
A few drops of lemon and caramel colour

Method
Whip cream, stir in the sugar gently. Add beaten egg and stir then sift and fold in flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar. Grease a cake tin with removable bottom and arrange pelargonium leaves in the bottom. Pour in batter. Cook at 175 °C for about 20 min. Pierce with a skewer to test if the cake is ready. Turn out the cake and allow to cool on wire rack.
When cake is cold, blend glaze ingredients and spread over top, decorating with pelargonium flowers and leaves.