by Karen Bledsoe

Created on: March 15, 2008

While some gardeners believe flowers belong in the flower garden and vegetables belong in the kitchen garden and it's heresy to believe otherwise, more and more gardeners are discovering the benefits of planting flowers amongst their vegetables.

Flowers as companions to vegetables attract pollinators, which in turn pollinate tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and other fruiting types. Flowers provide nectar and pollen to feed beneficial insects, which prey on insect pests. Some flowers and herbs also provide forage for the larvae of beneficial insects. Just mixing flowers with vegetables makes it harder for pests to find the vegetable plants in the first place. You can see why flowers are important if you're trying to garden organically.

Some flowers are more beneficial than others. The best flowers for a vegetable garden are those that provide nectar and pollen to feed beneficial insects, cover for predatory insects, and seeds for birds that will also pick insects from the garden. Here is a list of flowers that have been shown in many studies to benefit the vegetable garden:

Anise
While not a spectacular flower, this member of the carrot family is good for attracting parasitic wasps, lady beetles, and other beneficial insects. It's a tall, ferny herb that makes a good backdrop for a vegetable patch.

Bachelor's buttons
The cheerful blue bachelor's buttons, or cornflower, is a good nectar provider for many beneficial insects. The bright blue color will attract bees to pollinate the garden.

Borage
Borage is an ancient herb that is a terrific bee magnet, and is excellent for drawing other pollinators. It's a good companion for strawberries and vine crops.

Candytuft
This old-fashioned annual attracts bee-like hoverflies that are good pollinators. It also provides nectar for other beneficial insects and cover for various beetles.

Calendula
Also called pot marigold, calendula is easy to grow and provides abundant pollen to feed many predatory insects. It is also a nectar plant for butterflies.

Chervil
Not a spectacular flower, but this herb will attract parasitic wasps that destroy many garden pests.

Cosmos
Tall, ferny cosmos is a cheerful and attractive flower that brightens the late summer garden. It will attract bees, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, and provide nectar for butterflies. The seed heads will attract many small birds.

Dill
Like anise, dill is grown as an herb rather than a flower, but it too will attract many beneficial insects.

Marigolds
The Aztecs planted marigolds in the belief that these flowers protected their crops, and they were right. A ring of marigolds around the garden helps ward off parasitic nematodes. The flowers draw many pollinators, including hoverflies, and provide food for parasitic wasps. Birds will pick apart the seed heads if they are left in place.

Nasturtium
Bright nasturtiums come in both vining and dwarf forms. They attract many pollinating insects, and are a good trap crop for aphids. They will also confuse pests that attack cucumbers and squash if planted along with these crops.

Sunflowers
Big, bouncy sunflowers are a familiar part of the vegetable patch, and for good reason. Their abundant pollen draws many beneficial insects, they produce nectar for butterflies, and birds feast on their seeds.

Sweet Alyssum
A border of sweet alyssum around a garden bed provides cover for predatory beetles. The flowers are a rich source of nectar for many pollinators.

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