Which Flowers are Great for Vegetable Gardens

Did you know that every vegetable garden should have some flowers planted nearby to help the vegetables thrive? One of the reasons you should plant flowers near your vegetable garden is to attract bees. Bees help pollinate the plants and that gives you more veggies at harvest time. But, which flowers are great for vegetable gardens? Find out below!

Why You Want Flowers in Your Vegetable Garden

There are a variety of edible flowers you can plant in your garden, but flowers serve quite a few purposes in your garden. Here are some reasons why you want flowers in your vegetable garden:

1. Repel pests. Some flowers repel unwanted pests or draw harmful bugs away from your vegetables. 
2. They replenish nutrients. Flowers replenish the nutrients in your soil that help your vegetables grow better. 
3. BEES. According to the NAPPC, bees pollinate 75% of all vegetables, fruits, and nuts. They are why we have food! Flowers attract bees, which in turn yields more vegetables from your garden. 

Which Flowers are Great for Vegetable Gardens

If you really want your vegetable garden to thrive, planting flowers is the way to do it! Below, we will discuss the best flowers to plant in your garden and why! 

#1 Marigold Flowers

These flowers are super inexpensive, and easy to grow. They are great for vegetable gardens because:

• They keep nematode numbers down.
• Attract bees and other pollinators.
• Confuse, repel, or can be used as a trap crop for pests.

#2 Borage

Borage is an annual flowering plant that is great to include in your vegetable garden. It’s an edible flower that is super easy to grow, and it self seeds readily. Here are a few reasons to grow borage:

• They are great for bees.
• Borrage acts as a trap crop for aphids.
• Attracts predatory insects that eat them.
• Great for birds.

#3 Sunflowers

You can eat sunflowers, and they are actually super healthy for you. But, they are also great for helping out your vegetable garden as well. Here’s why:

• They are good supports for plants with vines.
• Sunflowers definitely attract the bees
• They are good for you to eat.

Keep in mind that some plants can’t be grown by sunflowers since the sunflowers inhibit their growth. Never grow potatoes near them. 

#4 Lavender Flowers

These flowers simply smell divine! Their aroma also helps alleviate stress and anxiety, and helps you to feel calm and relaxed. But, lavender is also good in your garden, and here is why:

• It’s an excellent companion for vegetables with similar growing requirements like asparagus or other Mediterranean plants.
• They make a great natural bed edging.
• Attract lots of bees.

#5 Phacelia

These beautiful purplish blue flowers are great for vegetable gardens for a variety of reasons. In fact, you can use this foliage as green manure to improve soil. Here are a few other reasons you should consider planting phacelia:

• They are beneficial as a companion crop.
• The dense fern helps to smother weeds.
• Their extensive root system improves the soil.
• Phacelia attracts bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects.

#6 Lupins

Lupin flowers are a nitrogen-adding plant. This means they work great for crop rotation. For example, you can plant lupins one year, then the next year plant peas, beans, and other legumes where the lupins were. Lupins add nitrogen to the soil, so they really help these types of plants thrive. Here’s why you should plant them:

• Nitrogen-fixing flowering plants that add nitrogen to the soil.
• They attract wildlife.
• They attract bees.

#7 Calendula

This yellow flowering plant grows best in areas with low humidity, but it is great when you are growing vegetables in your garden. Here are a few reasons why you would want to grow it:

• The thick roots act as a living mulch, protecting the soil and retaining moisture.
• Repels aphids.
• Attracts pollinators.

#8 Chamomile Flowers

Chamomile flowers are edible and are perfect for making tinctures and teas. But, they are also great for plants like cabbage, onions, beans, cucumbers, broccoli, kale, and brussel sprouts. Here’s why:

• They have antibacterial and antifungal properties.
• Chamomile help with mold, mildew, and blight.
• Attract pollinators.

#9 Cosmos

These bright colorful flowers do great in warm weather and are super easy to grow. They can be added to almost any vegetable garden and grow almost anywhere. You will want to grow them near tomatoes or other flowering plants. Here’s why you should grow them:

• Attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.
• Attract aphids so they are deterred from your vegetables.
• Help other flowering vegetable plants.

#10 Nasturtium Flowers

These sun loving flowers can grow in almost any zone. They are absolutely terrific for many vegetable gardens. You’ll want to grow them near broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, beets, pumpkin, or zucchini. Here’s why you’ll want to plant them:

• They attract hoverflies which kill and eat aphids.
• Nasturtium repel blackflies and slugs.
• Attract many pollinators.

#11 Perennial Salvia

This is the one I love the very most because it’s a perennial, which means it comes back every year. You have to cut them back but they quickly grow back all summer! This is why I plant them:

• They attract bees which pollinate my vegetables.
• They make me smile because they have beautiful purple flowers.
• They attract hummingbirds as well.

Other Posts to Check Out

When it comes to growing your own food, you’ll need to know more than just what flowers to plant. Growing your own food is one of the first steps in becoming independent and self sufficient. Everyone should learn to grow their own food. Check out some of my other gardening posts, below!

• 13 of the Best Gardening Tips Ever
• What is Keyhole Gardening
• 12 Budget Friendly Beautiful Garden Tips
• Top Gardening Tips for Growing Tomatoes
• Top 10 Healing Plants to Grow

If you aren’t sure what to grow or when, here are all my posts by zone and by month!

• What To Plant In January
• What To Plant In February
• What To Plant In March
• What To Plant In April
• What To Plant In May
• What To Plant In June
• What To Plant In July
• What To Plant In August
• What To Plant In September
• What To Plant In October

Final Word

Many people don’t have a green thumb when it comes to growing their own food. If you are struggling with yielding much at harvest, the simplest thing you can do is grow some flowers in or around your garden. Flowers can be used to trap insects that would otherwise eat your vegetables, attract bees and other pollinators, and many are even edible, making delicious teas! Be sure to plant some flowers! May God Bless this world! Linda

Copyright Images: Purple Salvia Deposit photos_68670653_s-2019, Nasturtium Flowers Deposit photos_10772738_xl-2015, Cosmos Flowers Deposit photos_33937471_s-2019, Calendula Flowers Deposit photos_49215497_s-2019, Phacelia Blue Flowers Deposit photos_3652814_s-2019, Lavendar Flowers Deposit photos_201080128_s-2019, Sunflowers Deposit photos_6863353_s-2019, Borage Deposit photos_423702450_s-2019, Marigolds Tagetes Depositphotos_8638857_s-2019, Vegetable Garden Deposit photos_3394475_s-2019