Useful, Beautiful Flowers to Add to Your Vegetable Garden

[mod mom]

Useful, Beautiful Flowers to Add to Your Vegetable Garden
Beautiful and useful, and perfect additions to your vegetable garden.


By Colleen Vanderlinden | Mon Jul 12, 2010 15:30

Visitors to my garden are usually somewhat surprised to see flowers planted among my tomatoes and eggplants. Anyone who knows me knows that, maybe more than anything else, I am a very practical girl. Upon first sight, rambling borders of nasturtiums or billowing clouds of borage flowers may look fanciful. But this is me we're talking about here. Believe me, the flowers in my vegetable garden are working hard. (And looking good doing it!)

I'm a big believer in companion planting. While many people think of the old "carrots love tomatoes" type of companion planting, there's also a lot to be said for including certain annuals and flowering herbs in your vegetable garden. Here are my top three, and why they deserve a place in your garden.

Nasturtiums

If you've had troubles with flea beetles in your garden (a sure sign is that your eggplant leaves are riddled with dozens of tiny little round holes) you need to plant nasturtiums in your garden. Nasturtiums act as a "trap crop" for the flea beetles, meaning the beetles will find them first, and spend their time munching the nasturtiums instead of going after your eggplant. Nasturtiums also act as a trap crop for aphids, which can be a real pest in the vegetable garden. I like to plant a border of nasturtiums around my raised beds, or simply add a row of nasturtiums here and there within the garden.

Nasturtiums are also very pretty plants, with cute round leaves. They bloom in many colors, including creamy white, pale yellow, dark red, and orange. Both the blooms and leaves are edible, adding a peppery flavor to salads and sandwiches. However, if you're using nasturtiums as a trap crop, it's best to avoid harvesting too often (after all, we want to make sure there's plenty for your insect pests so they don't start going after your veggies!)-snip

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http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/useful-beautiful-flowers-to-add-to-your-vegetable-garden.html


FOUND THIS HELPFUL & THOUGHT I'D SHARE :hi:

[beac]

1. Thanks for the link!

:)

My nasturtiums just can't seem to get going this year and I am sad not to be able to enjoy their peppery leaves and pretty flowers in my salads. I think I got a bad batch of seeds b/c gemination was poor and now they are just sitting there with a few TINY leaves on each plant.

Not sure about their efficacy in trapping flea beetles, since my poor eggplants got munched alive despite growing near the nasturtiums last year.

I planted borage around the edge of one of my tomato plants this year. Looking forward to trying its leaves in salads soon.

My best success so far with companion planting has been using icicle radishes to ward off Squash Bugs. I planted them at the same time and have been allowing their foliage to grow right up into the squash leaves (icicle radishes make REALLY tall leaves!) and now to flower and so far so good.

[dgibby]

2. Love the link!

Great articles, and I found the Planet Green TV channel for my area! Thanks!:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :hi:

[mod mom]

3. Planet Green is great....

I started watching this wonderful show, "The Fabulous Beekman Boys" which is the 1st show to depict gays in a very loving manner. On top of it it's hilarious. Two city boys attempt to run a farm their way, with style & compassion. You might want to check it out.