Easy Flowers for your Vegetable Garden
Incorporating flowers into your vegetable garden not only adds beauty but also offers practical benefits, such as attracting pollinators, improving soil health, and deterring pests. Many flowers are easy to grow, require little maintenance, and thrive alongside your vegetables.
My veggies are grown right along side lots and lots of flowers which makes for a healthy and happy garden every summer!
Here are some top picks for beginners looking to add a splash of color to their garden.
Dill
You may not think of Dill as a flower, afterall it is a delicious herb. But when Dill blooms, the flowers are an absolute magnet for butterflies and bees. Their umbellifer form – a flat flower composed of hundreds of tiny blooms – is a perfect landing pad for butterflies and moths who then also pollinate your vegetable blooms.
Surround your tomato plants with Dill and Marigolds both of which are beloved by Hornworms. You can support the Hornworm lifecycle (they become Hummingbird Moths, an important pollinator) while protecting your tomato plants from damage.
Top Tip: Just pick Hornworms off your tomatoes and move them to Dill plants when you see them!
Favorite Varieties:
Marigolds
Marigolds are a popular choice for vegetable gardens due to their ability to repel pests, especially aphids, and harmful nematodes. These cheerful flowers bloom in vibrant shades of orange and yellow, making them a perfect addition to any garden bed. Marigolds are easy to grow from seed and can handle full sun and well-drained soil.
Top Tip: Deadhead regularly to encourage continuous blooming.
Favorite Varieties:
Tomato
Growing
Guide
I get more questions about growing tomatoes than any other plant! So I created a whole guide dedicated just to growing tomatoes with tips, ideas, recommendations, and more. Check it out here!
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are not only stunning, but they also attract bees and other pollinators, helping to increase the productivity of your vegetable plants. They grow quickly and come in a variety of sizes, from towering giants to compact varieties perfect for smaller spaces. They also make great cut flowers for your home.
Top Tip: Plant sunflowers in a sunny spot and ensure they have enough space to grow tall and strong.
Favorite Varieties:
Nasturtium
Nasturtiums are beautiful, edible flowers that add a pop of color to your garden with their red, orange, or yellow blooms. They’re also excellent at attracting beneficial insects like ladybugs, which help control pests in your vegetable garden. Nasturtiums thrive in poor soil and can even be grown in containers.
Top Tip: These flowers are drought-tolerant once established, making them a low-maintenance choice for your garden.
Favorite Varieties:
Zinnias
Zinnias are bright, vibrant flowers that grow easily from seeds and tolerate both heat and drought. Their colorful blooms will add a cheerful touch to your garden, while attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. They also make great cut flowers, bringing beauty indoors.
Top Tip: Zinnias prefer full sun and well-drained soil, and they bloom profusely throughout the summer.
Favorite Varieties:
Lavender
I plant Lavender near but not WITH my vegetables because Lavender likes to dry out completely between waterings. Its soothing scent can be used in cosmetic products and soaps, and its fragrance wafts through a garden calling bees and pollinators making it an ideal companion plant in vegetable gardens. Lavender thrives in sunny locations and dry, well-drained soil, making it easy to care for.
While it is possible to grow Lavender from seed, I find more success starting it from cuttings, so buy one plant, take some cuttings, and in a few years you will have many plants. Buy small plants. They are slow-growing, but you’ll have healthier, longer-lasting plants in the end.
Top Tip: Prune lavender regularly to promote healthy growth and prevent it from becoming too woody.
Monarda | Bee Balm
Bee Balm is a stunning flower that attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to your garden, enhancing pollination for your vegetables. This perennial plant has bright red, pink, or purple blooms and thrives in full sun to partial shade. It’s also known for its medicinal properties and fragrant leaves.
Bonus! Monarda is a North American native plant!
Top Tip: Bee Balm prefers moist, well-drained soil and regular watering, especially during hot, dry spells.
Favorite Varieties:
Cosmos
Cosmos are easy-to-grow flowers with delicate, daisy-like petals in various colors, including pink, white, and red. These flowers are great for beginner gardeners, as they thrive in full sun and tolerate poor soil. Cosmos also attract beneficial pollinators, which will help boost your vegetable yields.
Top Tip: Cosmos prefer dry soil and will do well in areas with less frequent watering.
Favorite Varieties:
Petunias
Petunias are vibrant and versatile flowers that can add color to any garden. They come in a range of colors and varieties, from single to ruffled blooms, making them great for both ornamental and functional purposes. Petunias attract pollinators and can even help deter some pests like aphids and caterpillars.
Top Tip: Petunias thrive in well-drained soil with regular watering and prefer full sun.
Favorite Varieties:
Supertunias
Wave Petunias
I rarely grow Petunias from seed. I usually buy them in 6-packs from my local garden center.
Final Thoughts
My garden isn’t divided between veggies and flowers. I interplant with flowers everywhere, and I know that boosts the productivity of the garden in some magical ways! Adding flowers to your vegetable garden not only enhances the beauty of your space but also helps with pollination, pest control, and overall garden health. Flowers like marigolds, sunflowers, nasturtiums, and lavender are easy to grow and beneficial to your vegetable plants.
By choosing a mix of flowers that are both practical and beautiful, you’ll create a vibrant and thriving garden that supports both your veggies and the wildlife around you.
Happy Gardening!
Top Tip: Plant flowers that complement your vegetables, and watch as your garden flourishes with both color and productivity!