11 Flowering Plants You Should Plant in a Vegetable Garden

Here’s an exclusive list of the Flowering Plants You Should Plant in a Vegetable Garden to attract beneficial pollinators and deter pests!

Companion planting is a clever hack to keep pesky pests at bay while attracting pollinators for better fruit and flower production. Read on to know about the best Flowering Plants You Should Plant in a Vegetable Garden!

Have a look at the best flowering ground cover plants here

Why Plant Flowers in Your Vegetable Garden?

Planting veggies and flowers in the same bed is an age-old technique to boost a healthy harvest by attracting beneficial insects, pollinators, and native bees while keeping the common pests away from your herbs and vegetables. Besides that, growing flowers in a vegetable garden can make it look more attractive, and you can also use some of them as a trap crop!

Here are the best hacks to keep vegetables fresh for long

Flowering Plants You Should Plant in Vegetable Garden

1. Borage

Best Companion Vegetables: Tomatoes, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Squash, Strawberries

With edible flowers and leaves that taste somewhat like cucumber, borage is a herbaceous flowering plant, which is great for attracting bees. It also reseeds itself! And the best part–it helps in repelling tomato and cabbage worms by inviting their predator insects.

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2. Pot Marigold (Calendula)

Best Companion Vegetables: Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Peas, Carrots, Asparagus, Spring salad

The brilliant orange flowers repel tomato hornworms and asparagus beetles. Pot Marigold is also a great trap crop and you can grow it on the other side of the garden.

Have a look at the best types of marigolds to grow here

3. Clover

Best Companion Vegetables: Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower

Clover is a nitrogen-fixing flowering plant, which can also be good green manure. It helps to maintain fertility in the vegetable garden and attracts beneficial pollinators.

Learn all about growing white clover here

4. Cosmos

Best Companion Vegetables: Tomatoes, Beets, Cucumbers, Gourds, Herbs

If you want to attract Green Lacewings, which keep pesky aphids, scale, and thrips at bay, then pick a bright orange, yellow or white variety of cosmos. 

5. Zinnia

Best Companion Vegetables: Tomatoes, Potatoes, Cauliflower, Beans

Zinnia flowers attract bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators like a magnet! They also make for excellent cut flowers so you will always have one for your room.

6. Sunflower

Best Companion Vegetables: Lettuce, Squash, Courgette, Zucchini, Onions, Spring Onions, Kale, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Peppers

Sunflowers make for good support as trellises for climbing plants and attract pollinators to your vegetable garden. You can also plant squash near them to keep squirrels away.

Here’s all you need to know about growing Sunflowers on a balcony

7. Lavender

Best Companion Vegetables: Cabbage, Cauliflower, Herbs

Lavenders are best to keep insects and vegetable pests away, including ticks and green cabbage moths. Also, the mice find its scent offensive, which keeps them away from the vegetables. 

Check out our article on growing Lavender here

8. Marigold

Best Companion Vegetables: Cucumbers, Melons, Eggplants, Squash, Potatoes, Lettuce, Pumpkin, Tomatoes

Marigolds do not receive enough respect that they deserve as they can keep pests away both above and below the ground. The flowers also repel thrips, nematodes, tomato hornworms, squash bugs, and whiteflies.

9. Nasturtium

Best Companion Vegetables: Broccoli, Cabbages, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Kale, Pumpkin

Nasturtiums are perfect for attracting bees and other pollinators while keeping beetles and squash bugs away. They also come with an addition of tasty edible leaves and flowers, which have a peppery, spicy flavor for your salads!

10. Sweet Pea

Best Companion Vegetables: Beans, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Pepper, Radish

This flowering plant attracts bees, birds, and other pollinators. Remember that Sweet Peas are not edible as the seeds are toxic for humans, but other creatures may find them delicious.

11. Sweet Alyssum

Best Companion Vegetables: Beans, Swiss Chard, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants

Sweet Alyssum is one of the best border plants that you can grow for the pleasing fragrance of its flowers. They also attract many beneficial insects, especially hoverflies!