9 Best Flowers for the Vegetable Garden
Introducing flowers to a garden has many benefits in addition to adding beauty. The flowers can be used in animal crops to deter pests and attract beneficial insects such as pollinators.
Interplanting also saves space and time as you can grow and grow multiple plants in one place.
Edible Flowers, Cutting Flowers, and Flowers to Deter Pests
Even without the accompanying services, the garden is a pleasant place to plant cut flowers.
Brighten Your Space with Beautiful Flowers – Discover Top Varieties Today!
You can cut them by choosing vegetables for dinner. Here are nine of the best flowers to add a new dimension to your garden.
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Borage grows into a tall, slim plant that looks lovely in a country house garden, though it can be a bit confusing in more formal boundaries.
It is an herb that looks great in a garden. Flowers are a beacon for bees and a joy for gardeners. The leaves and flowers are edible, with a subtle cucumber flavor.
The plant grows quickly and can be sown directly into the ground. After that, he tends to sow again.
Some flowers are pink and some are blue. Light, temperature, and other external conditions can cause this color change.
One theory is that as flowers age and lose pollen, the color changes from pink to blue. Presumably, the blue color tells pollinators that the flower is no longer worth it. Pulmonaria, belonging to the same family, does it with its flowers.
- USDA Growing Zones: N/A (annual plant)
- Color Varieties: Blue, pink
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part sun
- Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Calendula or marigold belongs to the daisy family and is not related to marigolds of the genus Tagetes.
Marigolds are considered edible flowers, although they have a predominantly bitter taste. It is its bright orange color that enlivens a dish.
In the garden, marigold is a mixed blessing. It repels some pests like asparagus beetles and tomato worms.
But it also attracts others, especially aphids. Do not be discouraged. You can use the flower as a fruit trap and place it on the other side of the garden, with plants that are often infested with aphids, such as peas.
- USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11
- Color Varieties: Yellow, orange, pink, cream
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Rich, slightly acidic to neutral, well-draining
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Few flowers grow easily and bloom as profusely as the cosmos. And these flowers can be used in the garden, as they attract many beneficial insects.
For example, if you want to style green lacewings, choose a bright white or orange variety. B. "Cosmic Orange".
Green-tipped wings are voracious eaters that suck on all kinds of soft-bodied insects, including aphids, scales, and thrips.
Therefore, they are considered beneficial insects, and having them in your garden can help prevent pest problems.
- USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11
- Color Varieties: Pink, purple, red, yellow, orange, white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Average, moderate moisture, well-draining
Lavender (Lavandula sp.)
It is not difficult to find a reason to plant lavender. In addition to its beautiful flowers and popular scent, the herb can be used to control several common garden pests.
Deer tend to avoid this, as do many insects, including ticks. Of course, scattered lavender does not guarantee that a tick will not bite you, but it should reduce the number of ticks in the area.
Furthermore, moths, including cabbage moths, also find the smell unpleasant. In general, mice can also find snacks in other places.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
- Color Varieties: Purple, violet-blue, rose, pale pink, white, yellow
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Lean, alkaline, well-draining
Marigold (Tagetes sp.)
Worries don't get the respect they deserve. They deter both above and below-ground pests and look great. Water your garden with calendula plants and rabbits will think twice before crossing the line.
Confuse Mexican insects by also planting marigolds with bean plants in your garden.
Marigolds have also been attributed to repel squash insects, thrips, tomato worms, and whiteflies. Some even release a chemical that kills nematodes from the roots of the soil.
However, if nematodes are a problem, you will need to leave the calendula roots in the ground at the end of the season.
- USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11
- Color Varieties: Red, orange, yellow, gold
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Cheerful wounds prefer lower temperatures and continue to bloom until fall. Nasturtiums offer some protection against insects and insects. They are also preferred by aphids and are excellent as fruit traps.
But they are one of the most delicious edible flowers (and leaves) out there, so don't sacrifice them all for insects.
The seeds are large and easy to harvest to be replanted the next season. Many varieties will sow alone. After scarifying (cutting or rubbing with sandpaper), plant the seeds to help them germinate.
Or you can try to turn them into injuries.
- USDA Growing Zones: N/A (annual plant)
- Color Varieties: Red, orange, yellow, cream
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Soil Needs: Poor to average, slightly acidic, well-draining
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Sunflowers are a perfect flower for the garden. They are excellent for climbing plants and have enough nectar to attract pollinators.
Unfortunately, sunflowers also attract squirrels, which can be a problem if you grow them to conserve seeds.
However, a large leafy vegetable like a pumpkin planted under sunflowers can be a major deterrent for animals.
- USDA Growing Zones: N/A (annual plant)
- Color Varieties: Yellow, red, burgundy, chocolate
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Average, moist, well-draining
Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus)
Sweet peas are not edible to humans (the seeds are poisonous), but many other creatures find them delicious.
If you have a hard time keeping them in your flower garden, you can also plant them in a sheltered vegetable garden.
Growing sweet peas with large edible peas and navy beans is one way to squeeze them into the garden and get more pollinators for the beans.
They are not pollinated with edible peas because they belong to different genera.
- USDA Growing Zones: N/A (annual plant)
- Color Varieties: Red, pink, blue, purple, white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Humusy, medium moisture, well-draining
Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
Nectar-rich zinnia flowers are magnets for bees and other pollinators. They are also popular with hummingbirds.
The lighter pastel varieties are attractive to Japanese beetles and can be used as fruit traps. On the other hand, you may not want to plant anything that attracts Japanese beetles, unless you already have a problem you want to solve.
Planting zinnia flowers in the garden gives you the flexibility to use them as cut flowers without worrying about the spaces left by the cuttings.
When you harvest your plants, there are holes in a garden.
- USDA Growing Zones: N/A (annual plant)
- Color Varieties: Red, pink, yellow, orange, lilac, purple, green, white
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Soil Needs: Humusy, well-draining
Enriching Your Garden with the Right Flowers
Incorporating a variety of flowers into your garden offers more than just visual appeal. They can play an essential role in pest control, attracting beneficial insects, and enhancing the overall health of your garden ecosystem.
Whether you are growing edible flowers or using blooms like marigolds and lavender to deter pests, each flower contributes to a more vibrant and resilient garden.
By carefully selecting and interplanting these beautiful additions, you create a space that is not only productive but also a delight to experience throughout the growing season.
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