Chocolates and flowers go hand in hand. Together they make the perfect gift for any occasion, whether it’s a loved one’s birthday, Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.
But what if we could combine the two?
With National Chocolate Week 2013 taking place from October 14th, we take a look at some chocolate-y blooms which combine flowers and our favourite sweet treat.
Chocolate Cosmos
The Chocolate Cosmos has its velvety, dark chocolate coloured blossoms and vanilla, chocolate scent to thank for its delicious sounding name.
Unfortunately, no part of the plant is edible, but if you are craving a chocolate fix, the fragrance should see you through until you can get your hands on a bar.
Chocolate Sundae Dahlia
The Chocolate Sundae Dahlia also boasts petals which look like they’ve been made from melted chocolate, combined with a yellow centre which resembles delicious honeycomb.
The dahlia does not have a chocolate fragrance, but at least that means you won’t crave a sweet treat every time you head into the garden.
Columbine Chocolate Soldier
The Columbine Chocolate Soldier goes a darker brown depending on how much sun it receives, meaning it could go from milk chocolate to 80% cocoa content depending on how much light it gets.
Chocolate Daisy
The Chocolate Daisy is an easy to grow wildflower with a rich chocolate scent and a brown centre which looks just like a Chocolate Button.
As well as looking good, Chocolate Daisies also taste good and you can use them to garnish salads or decorate desserts.
Chocolate Mint
This lovely plant doesn’t just smell like any chocolate. The combination of a cocoa-y fragrance combined with mint means you feel like you are about to take a bite of a peppermint crème every time you get a whiff.
Unlike most other chocolate scented plants, you can actually take a nibble of this one. Many people add the leaves to tea or coffee, or use them as a garnish on chocolate cakes.
The best of the rest
If you want to plan a chocolate-themed garden, there are plenty of other plants to choose from too. Chocolate Vine, Chocolate Snakeroot and Sharry Baby Sweet Fragrance Orchid all smell like chocolate, while the Frosted Chocolate Viola and the Sweet Hot Chocolate Daylily all have rich chocolate-coloured blooms.
You could also consider the Dark Chocolate Coleus, Chocolate Star or Chocolate Chip Bugle Bugleweed. But be warned, the only chocolate-y thing about them is their name.
To give your whole garden a chocolate boost, you can use crushed cocoa bean shells in your mulch.
Source: Interflora – Chocolate-y Flowers that are Almost Good Enough to Eat
