One of my customers asked me other day what fruits and vegetables I grew altogether. After reeling off a rather long list (and witnessing someone falling asleep with their eyes wide open and staring at me), she asked me what flowers I grew. I explained to this lovely lady that unless I could eat it, I didn't grow it. By the time I got home I started thinking, did I grow anything I didn't have any intention of eating? Yes, I did! FYI: my memory can be awful at times. Despite being able to remember the ISBN number of a box of Crayola's from primary school (1050215304348), I cannot remember simple things from the last year. Inconsistent and annoying to say the least.
I digress.
Last year I grew lots of nasturtiums in order to attract bees and repel horrid bugs that would eat and destroy my plants. Vibrant little flowers they are, sweet smelling (and edible, of course), these little beauties are a vegetable garden essential. Not only do they trap aphids in their flower-heads, but they repel blackfly and whitfly from nearby plants. This method worked particularly well with my runnder beans and broad beans last year.
This little memory has inspired me to do a bit of digging - pardon the pun - and find some other flowers which will help fight bugs and insects.
Lavender
A brilliant general pest repellant, lavender, if grown in abundance, will even keep mice and ticks away. Lavender smells great, looks great, and if your plants are getting a bit to wild, then the flowers can be picked, dried and sewn into little fabric patches and used to keep those drawers smelling fresh. Chest of drawers I mean.
Borage
Borage
Fun to say and great to grow, borage repels hornworm and cabbage worm. It is a particularly strong ally to the tomato plant, and seeing as I will be growing a greenhouse full of tomatoes this year, I will certainly be needing my fair share of borage plants. Borage has pretty blue star-shaped flowers which are edible.
Petunias
These beauties repel aphids which are the Godfather of pests in my garden. They also deter asparagus beetles, leaf hoppers and other predatory insects. Maybe I should plant more petunia's next year...
Sunflowers
The mighty giants aren't just eye candy, they attract all sort of lovely pollenators, such as bumble bees which are my favourite summertime critter, which will help surrounding pumpkin, courgette and squash plants. These happy critters they attract will eliminate the horrible little aphids and flies. As if sunflowers couldn't get even better, they also come in the colour red. Totally fabulous.
French and Mexican Marigolds
The roots of the marigold secrete a substance which repels soil nematodes (horrible little things which can cause havoc underneath the soil where our blessed roots and veggies are).
Herbs are also an effective method of combat against veg-patch nasties... (and used as fresh herbs in the kitchen, it's a win-win situation!)
Rosemary
Deters bean beetle and carrot fly
Mint
Deters aphids, ants and fleas.
Lemon Balm
Repels squash bugs and many other garden pests. Fresh lemon balm leaves also make a delicious cup of tea.
Sage
Repels cabbage moths and flea beetle.
If you know of any other flowers or herbs which repel garden pests, I would love to hear from you. Especially is they get rid of millipedes/centipedes/earwigs.
Ruth
