Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
Flowers as companions Toplef10Flowers as companions 1zd3ho10

Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

Flowers as companions I22gcj10Flowers as companions 14dhcg10

[/td][/tr][/table]

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Square Foot Gardening Forum
[table bgcolor=#000000 height=275][tr][td]
Flowers as companions Toplef10Flowers as companions 1zd3ho10

Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

Flowers as companions I22gcj10Flowers as companions 14dhcg10

[/td][/tr][/table]
Square Foot Gardening Forum
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Search
 
 

Display results as :
 

 


Rechercher Advanced Search

Latest topics
» Onions. Walk on?
by OhioGardener Today at 9:25 am

» Bokashi
by OhioGardener Today at 8:13 am

» New to SFG and in Virgina
by sanderson Today at 1:38 am

» Compost bins: Open vs. closed
by Scorpio Rising Yesterday at 10:38 am

» Recommended store bought compost - Photos of composts
by sanderson 3/26/2024, 5:56 pm

» 6 metal trellis frames
by docachna 3/25/2024, 4:31 pm

» N & C Midwest: March and April 2024
by Scorpio Rising 3/24/2024, 3:01 pm

» What Have You Picked From Your Garden Today
by OhioGardener 3/24/2024, 1:28 pm

» Senseless Banter...
by OhioGardener 3/23/2024, 6:02 pm

» Joann's fabric bankruptcy
by neefer 3/23/2024, 12:33 am

» New gardener from Santa Fe NM
by CantersVary 3/22/2024, 7:50 pm

» Kiwi's SFG Adventure
by KiwiSFGnewbie 3/22/2024, 5:07 pm

» Heat Mat Temperature Test
by OhioGardener 3/22/2024, 2:09 pm

» Victory Garden Reboot
by Scorpio Rising 3/22/2024, 11:53 am

» Mark's first SFG
by sanderson 3/22/2024, 11:43 am

» Commercial (bagged or bulk) compost question
by Mikesgardn 3/21/2024, 7:09 pm

» Think Spring 2024
by Scorpio Rising 3/20/2024, 10:34 am

» Fire Ring / Round Raised Bed Planter
by sanderson 3/19/2024, 4:51 pm

» Galvanized Fire Ring for Rhubarb Raised Beds?
by OhioGardener 3/18/2024, 10:34 am

» Happy St. Patrick's Day
by Scorpio Rising 3/17/2024, 5:54 pm

» Happy Birthday!!
by Scorpio Rising 3/11/2024, 10:28 am

» What are you eating from your garden today?
by Scorpio Rising 3/10/2024, 8:38 pm

» Why I love Oregano in the garden.
by OhioGardener 3/10/2024, 8:16 am

» Comfrey
by OhioGardener 3/9/2024, 6:07 pm

» Sealing Barrels Flowers Struggling-Need Ideas
by Turan 3/9/2024, 3:09 pm

» Hello again from a slightly different part of Central PA!
by sanderson 3/9/2024, 1:46 pm

» Chicken manure compost
by Oopsiedaisy 3/8/2024, 7:56 pm

» Chinese Broccoli
by sanderson 3/7/2024, 10:28 pm

» Heat Mat Lifespan
by Scorpio Rising 3/7/2024, 9:33 am

» Now is The Time To Take Seed Inventory
by OhioGardener 3/6/2024, 4:36 pm

Google

Search SFG Forum

Flowers as companions

+11
Barkie
FarmerValerie
Goosegirl
bettyd_z7_va
Nonna.PapaVino
pelujilla
GreenBlueberry
quiltbea
Old Hippie
dianamarie03
buttaflie143
15 posters

Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Flowers as companions

Post  buttaflie143 4/8/2011, 10:01 am

Any thoughts on planting certain flowers in and around your garden to attract good bugs and deter bad ones?
buttaflie143
buttaflie143

Posts : 356
Join date : 2011-04-07
Location : Raleigh, NC - EST

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  dianamarie03 4/8/2011, 10:04 am

Do it! Not only do flowers like marigolds and alyssum repel pests, but they make your garden even more enjoyable to look at. Win-win in my book!
avatar
dianamarie03

Female Posts : 96
Join date : 2011-03-20
Age : 38
Location : Delaware, Ohio

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  Old Hippie 4/8/2011, 10:35 am

YES! YES! YES!

Besides making your garden look prettier, planting flowers attracts
bees, butterflies, etc. which help with pollination. Also, many of
these insects are declining for various reasons so need all the help
they can get. And you have the added benefit of observing more of
nature right up close.

I have one 4' square dedicated to flowers just because I love flowers. Lot of herbs have pretty flowers that the bees love......chives, borage, oregano.....so you have flowers, herbs and bees! A great combination.

Gwynn


Last edited by Old Hippie on 4/8/2011, 10:37 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : font size)
Old Hippie
Old Hippie
Regional Hosts

Female Posts : 1156
Join date : 2010-08-12
Age : 73
Location : Canada 3b

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  quiltbea 4/8/2011, 10:38 am

I've put nasturtiums and marigolds in some of the outside corner blocks of my beds the last two years. You can eat the nasturtiums in salads.
Flowers as companions 06-23-15
Here's some nasturtiums in one corner. They have a vining habit so be sure to put them in an outside block if you grow them so they can hang over the side.
Flowers as companions 07-28-12
Marigolds in another corner. They blossom later in the season right up to Halloween.
This year I plan to put a few other types inside the garden in a block here and there as I've seen in Mel's videos. Maybe some pansies, which are also edible, and for color, some red salvia and Dusty Miller for some silver. I'll see what seeds I can find, or young seedlings at bargain prices.
quiltbea
quiltbea

Female Posts : 4712
Join date : 2010-03-21
Age : 81
Location : Southwestern Maine Zone 5A

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  GreenBlueberry 4/10/2011, 3:20 pm

Check out this list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants
I planted marigolds, borage and nasturtiums in my box. They will look pretty and are edible.
GreenBlueberry
GreenBlueberry

Female Posts : 88
Join date : 2011-04-07
Location : Georgia, USA, Zone 7b (Middle South)

http://www.tableclothsandsporks.com

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  pelujilla 4/10/2011, 5:09 pm

I saved this list! Thanks for sharing
pelujilla
pelujilla

Posts : 87
Join date : 2011-03-31
Location : St Johns, Fl (NE Zone 9)

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Flowers as companions

Post  Nonna.PapaVino 4/10/2011, 5:27 pm

Be a bit wary of borage, if they love your soil, they can become a bit of a pest, with seedlings coming up EVERYWHERE, more than any place else. Having said that, judicious removal of seed cases can eliminate the problem. The flowers are a surprise in a salad, with their color and slight cucumber taste.
avatar
Nonna.PapaVino

Female Posts : 1437
Join date : 2011-02-07
Location : In hills west of St. Helens, OR

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  Old Hippie 4/10/2011, 5:32 pm

That is true Nonna. I did leave a lot of them just because they attracted bees.

Gwynn
Old Hippie
Old Hippie
Regional Hosts

Female Posts : 1156
Join date : 2010-08-12
Age : 73
Location : Canada 3b

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Flowers as companions

Post  bettyd_z7_va 4/10/2011, 5:43 pm

I LOVE flowers and found this GREAT book that is very informative on the subject.

She does not SFG, but uses raised beds with enriched soil and LOTS of flowers mixed in to attract good bugs and deter bad ones.

'Great Garden Companions' A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden by Sally Jean Cunningham Master Gardener, Cornell Cooperative Extension A Rodale Organic Gardening Book

I've gotten lots of ideas I'm going to incorporate into my gardens this year from this book.

(I love to read more than I love to garden. Some days I have to tear myself away from a book or this laptop to go garden!)

Betty
avatar
bettyd_z7_va

Female Posts : 123
Join date : 2010-09-16
Age : 69
Location : Central Va

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Flowers as companions

Post  bettyd_z7_va 4/10/2011, 5:49 pm

Thanks for the tip, Nonna.

I have some borage I grew from seed I'm putting in the veggie garden as well as 'here- n- there' in the flower beds because I love the color of the flowers.

I will watch out for the re-seeding becoming a problem.

That's why I love this forum. I learn so much from others taking the time to share their experiences.

Betty
avatar
bettyd_z7_va

Female Posts : 123
Join date : 2010-09-16
Age : 69
Location : Central Va

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Flowers as companions

Post  Nonna.PapaVino 4/10/2011, 8:42 pm

Hey, Betty, the volunteer borage plants are easy to spot and flip out of the soil. It's truly a "seed-once-and-enjoy-forever" plant. Another plant that "keeps on giving" is forget me nots. I spent at least six years spotting and digging out those volunteers from an initial, ignorant, sowing!
avatar
Nonna.PapaVino

Female Posts : 1437
Join date : 2011-02-07
Location : In hills west of St. Helens, OR

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  Goosegirl 4/10/2011, 9:41 pm

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:Hey, Betty, the volunteer borage plants are easy to spot and flip out of the soil. It's truly a "seed-once-and-enjoy-forever" plant. Another plant that "keeps on giving" is forget me nots. I spent at least six years spotting and digging out those volunteers from an initial, ignorant, sowing!

+1 on the forget-me-nots! They NEVER LEAVE so you have a chance to forget them! lol!

TC/GG
Goosegirl
Goosegirl

Female Posts : 3435
Join date : 2011-02-16
Age : 59
Location : Zone 4A - NE SD

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  Old Hippie 4/10/2011, 9:45 pm

And they have nasty little burr seeds as well. The flowers are pretty but I don't want them in my yard at all.

Gwynn
Old Hippie
Old Hippie
Regional Hosts

Female Posts : 1156
Join date : 2010-08-12
Age : 73
Location : Canada 3b

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Thanks for the warning!

Post  bettyd_z7_va 4/11/2011, 4:31 am

I'll make sure I don't even walk by a pack of Forget Me Not seed!

They sound bad!

burr seeds? - I have Grandbabies and they don't need burr anything.

Betty
avatar
bettyd_z7_va

Female Posts : 123
Join date : 2010-09-16
Age : 69
Location : Central Va

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  FarmerValerie 4/11/2011, 8:37 am

Cosmos and Marigolds will re-seed too, that's why it's key to deadhead your flowers.

A note about Marigolds, dwarf has nothing to do with the size of the plant, everything to do with the size of the flower. Keep it trimmed if you don't want it to get to big.


Last edited by FarmerValerie on 4/11/2011, 8:38 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : Info about Marigolds)
FarmerValerie
FarmerValerie

Female Posts : 1611
Join date : 2011-01-29
Age : 57
Location : NE Texas, 75501, Zone 8a

http://www.rocksinmygarden.blogspot.com

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  Barkie 4/11/2011, 2:34 pm

I like the Poached Egg Plant - look away now if Latin offends - Limnanthes douglasii, a neat 6 inches high hardy annual that's white with a yellow centre. Hoverflies like it and their larvae feast on aphids. You could get about 12 or 16 in a square.

Barkie
avatar
Barkie

Posts : 306
Join date : 2011-03-25
Location : Wales, Uk. Last frost May

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  shannon1 4/12/2011, 12:55 am

Got my first flowers just the other day. One is a mystery plant with tiny white single bloms that they gave me at ace since it was not doing so hot and needed repotting. After four days it is doing great I think it just needed more sun and air. The other is a weird tender, tropical annule called bat-faced cuphea it is a champ, beautiful tubular blooms that do look like cute little purple and red bat faces, when looked at from the front. Said to attract bees and humming birds. I took the white one because I know small white flowers attract bennifical insects. flower
shannon1
shannon1

Posts : 1697
Join date : 2011-04-01
Location : zone 9a St.Johns county FL

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  nancy 4/12/2011, 8:51 am

buttaflie - I don't know how much space you have, but I have a whole 4x4 bed devoted to butterflies and bees. It is in the middle of the garden. It has butterfly weed, tropical milkweed, fennel, purple coneflower, and swamp weed as its perrenials. Later this spring I will add dwarf cosmos, dahlias, and maybe some zinnias if I can find a short variety. Last year I had monarchs, painted ladies, red admirals, and swallowtails as well as bumblebees, honey bees, and carpenter bees. You certainly don't have to devote a whole bed. Plant what you want - they will find you.

(Is there a monarch smiley?)
nancy
nancy

Female Posts : 595
Join date : 2010-03-16
Location : Cincinnati, Ohio (6a)

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  camprn 4/12/2011, 4:13 pm

Flowers as companions 0D7B9D46
http://s6.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/0D7B9D46.jpg Very Happy
camprn
camprn

Forum Moderator Certified SFG Teacher

Female Posts : 14169
Join date : 2010-03-06
Age : 61
Location : Keene, NH, USA ~ Zone 5a

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-week

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  Furbalsmom 4/12/2011, 4:58 pm

That baby butterfly needs some flowers

So cute. Camprn, you find the best links and pictures. Thanks!
Furbalsmom
Furbalsmom

Female Posts : 3141
Join date : 2010-06-10
Age : 77
Location : Coastal Oregon, Zone 9a, Heat Zone 2 :(

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  camprn 4/12/2011, 5:06 pm

Thanks Furb, you don't do to bad yourself!! Wink
camprn
camprn

Forum Moderator Certified SFG Teacher

Female Posts : 14169
Join date : 2010-03-06
Age : 61
Location : Keene, NH, USA ~ Zone 5a

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-week

Back to top Go down

Flowers as companions Empty Re: Flowers as companions

Post  Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum