Hello folks I hope all is well. I have been veggie gardening for about 10 years now and have had great success. After looking at the flowers that everyone has here I believe it is time to start growing some pretty flowers. Since I am a firm believer in growing stuff that serves multiple purposes I was hoping to start with some simple kind of flowers that may also be beneficial for my veggies but it is not a neccessity. I also belive that beginning with some foolproof flowers will increase my love for them and I wont get frustrated and quit because flowers keep dying. So any ideas on what to grow for my first ever attempt at flowers would be much appreciated. Thank you all.
I would suggest Zennia's as they are easy to grow an butterflies and bees love them.Marigolds as they keep away some of the bad bugs.Nastruim as they do the same thing.
If you'd like something mulit-purpose, rosemary is pretty easy to grow, tastes good with veggies, and gets a lovely purple flower.
Thank you for the replies everyone! I actually tried to grow rosemary twice from seed and none of them sprouted. I guess it is not my thing. But who knows, thrid time is the charm they say!!!!!!
Nasturtiums leaves and flowers, with the stamen removed are yummy in salads. Like Glendann said, attract the aphids off of your food crops. Marigolds attract pollinators and help destroy root feeding nematodes. Borage is an herb that can be cooked like spinach which has a pretty small blue flower and is beneficial to tomatoes as a companion plant. It also attracts pollinators. Dandelions are edible as well although not usually thought of as anything but a weed to most people. Just remember if you are going to eat any of the flowers or leaves, DO NOT use pesticides on them.
How about some sun flowers? If you get the right kind you could save the flower heads to harvest the seeds, or just let the birds eat them. I've tried to grow some, but, the snails always get to them...
thanks folks! Melissa, I do have a few of the giant sunflowers that are about 2 feet tall at the moment and growing strong. They should have some flowers on them in about 2 more weeks I would say.
Pete as far down south as you are you might want to wait til early spring next year to mess with nasturiums. They don't like our heat an you will most likely be disappointed if planted now. Also nurseries an box stores carry rosemary plants an aren't to expensive. I would just buy one of those already potted up rosemary plants an not mess with seeds on it. You will be much more pleased. You said it wasn't necessary for the flowers to be companions for the veggies so.....Do you want annuals that will need replanted every year unless they reseed themselves? Or perennials that come back yr after yr at a one time cost? Also in our heat you may want to think about how much watering your willing to do, do you want something drought tolerant or something that needs a lot of your attention/water/maintenance? Just some things for you to think about.
I knew Glendann would mention zinnias!!! She is the Zinnia queen She sent me seeds last year and they were amazing!! They are so easy to start from seed and come in a rainbow of colors, sizes and shapes. Not to mention if you cut the flowers they keep going and going and going... I like the sunflower idea too. Deanna (aka the Zinnia princess)
I love zinnias too for their great versatility and they are tough! Pansies are nice and easy too to plant in the Fall. I usually plant them in the Fall as my beds die down and they go right through Winter and wake up with a big POP in the Spring....than I pull them up as the heat comes on and fill in with other annuals. Another good one is Mexican heather...very heat and drought tolerant and pentas also.
