Companion Planting with Flowers

Flowers are beautiful and powerful garden protectors. Flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects while deterring pests from vegetable beds. Some flowers, such as caléndula can even detox soil!

Planting a few carefully chosen flowers in your vegetable beds will help your garden thrive without the use of toxic pesticides. 

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Pest Repelling Flowers

1. Petunia

Beloved by humming birds. Petunias trap cabbage moths, deter asparagus beetles and tomato horn worms to keep your cabbage, asparagus and tomato plants pest free. 

Plant white petunias to deter territorial cabbage moths as white petunias can trick cabbage moths into thinking another moth has taken over your cabbage bed!

Additionally, planting petunias in your strawberry bed will encourage the formation of beautiful berries, by promoting the pollination necessary for juicy large strawberries.

2. Marigold

Marigolds provide benefits to all crops, but especially root crops. Marigolds aid in promoting healthy soil and plant roots by deterring nematodes and beetles. Marigolds are especially protective of squash and potatoes. Plant marigolds at the base of your fruit trees for pest and weed protection. 

3. Geranium

Geraniums deter cabbageworms from your cabbage beds and Japanese beetles.

4. Nasturtium

Nasturtium attracts hummingbirds and is a natural aphid trap, aphids prefer nasturtium over most crops. Nasturtium is especially protective of cucumber, cabbage and  squash. They also protect crops from nutrient sapping weeds. Nasturtium is edible so you can enjoy in salad. 

5. Chamomile

Chamomile repels flies, carrot flies, and mosquitoes. Chamomile protects and may even enhance the flavor of the following crops: broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, and onion.

6. Calendula

Calendula can detox and enhance soil. Calendula also protects roots by deterring nematodes while protecting tomato crops from horn worm and other pests.  Calendula will also attract pest such as aphids to it while keeping them off of your broccoli crops, for this reason beneficial insects that prey on aphids such as lady bugs and lacewings are also attracted to calendula. 

7. Alyssum

Alyssum attracts hoverflies whose larvae voraciously munch on aphids. Protect your roses, Swiss chard and kale from aphids by planting near alyssum. Alyssum also emits a sweet honeylike scent which attracts pollinators and beneficial insects.

8. Chrysanthemum 

Chrysanthemums are both beautiful and strong. They deter the nastiest garden and home pests: roaches, ants, fleas, and silverfish. Plant in pots or 1 foot from the plants you wish to protect. 

9. Borage 

Borage has beautiful flowers which add color to the garden, but most importantly borage is protective of strawberries and tomatoes.

10. Cosmos

Attracts numerous beneficial insects to the garden and is low maintenance. Cosmos come in all sizes from small to large so plant whichever suit your fancy and enjoy! 

11. Echinacea 

Attracts all kinds of beneficial insects including praying mantis to munch on your most intrusive garden pests.

12. Snapdragon

Snapdragon is a great companion for celery as it attracts parasitic wasps that will attack celery’s pests.