If you’ve ever thought a vegetable garden was just for vegetables – think again! Today I’m giving you my five top reasons why you should include flowers to increase productivity, save money and just enhance your whole gardening experience!
Join me on my journey in my organic, no dig garden in the heart of the UK.
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29 Comments
Hello Jane,
I have put lots of bulbs and I have loads of flowers growing in my greenhouse ready for my allotment plot.
People should remember if it wasn’t for the bees etc we wouldn’t be having food on the table.
Love your videos you always make me laugh.❤x
The more the merrier I say 💪💪 and do so many varieties that they bloom at all different times. Zinnias marigolds nasturtium bergamot or anything that self seeds 😂😂. Have a fabulous week, Ali 🇨🇦
Great video.
Flowers and veggies always go together
I absolutely agree! Not only are the flowers practical but they make the garden space so cheerful and beautiful. I would add alyssum as a great one smells great, bees love it and it spills over the side of the beds gracefully.
I also like letting the herbs go to flower, lots of insects really like them 👍
Oh my goodness Jane I can not agree enough! I grow a huge amount of flowers, mainly for companion planting to eat, wildlife and to just look utterly beautiful. I use companion planting to help the plants grow, deter some bugs, sacrifice and shelter. I don't use any chemicals, nets or anything as the plants do it all for me. This year I am experimenting with using companion planting to help retain moisture and slow bolting. Some of my favourites
Nasturtium
Cosmos
Echinops
Egg plants
Sweet pea
Foxgloves
Ox eye daisy
Borage
Comfrey
Morning glory
Spanish flag
Sunflower
Zinnia
Marigolds
Calendula
Golden rod
Ammi
Antirrhinum
Bergamot
Echinacea
Dahlia
Poppies
Swan River
Nigella
Cornflower
Dandelion
Most herbs allowed to flower
Marlow
Stock
Cerinthe
Nepeta
Chamomile
Plus various ornamental grasses (birds love the seeds) and large foliage plants for shelter fir frogs etc. I try to add plants like wild strawberry etc aswell (for the wildlife, I have my strawberry separate)
Because they are joyful!:-)And an eyeful,and a noseful,hahaha,a bouquet a handfull,buzzing of bees,an earful!
Too much fun going on around them,to NOT have them,,:-)and while they may not all be edible for me,they are to something…
all the best
Donna
flowers are important in the garden and Jane really nails why in this episode. Great job jane
Great vlog. Agree flowers add so much.
I'm on my second year with trying more flowers so going for it, brilliant vlog Jane 🥰
Hiya Jane Thankyou for sharing yes flowers will benefit all. Blessings luv fro a snowstorm riddled Southern Ontario Canada and your 🐝
100% agree with all of this ☺ I used to grow a few flowers such as calendula in amongst my veggies, last year I started a dedicated flower bed on my plot and it gave me such pleasure. I'm looking forward to adding to it this year 🌸💮🏵️🌺🌼
I have a wildflower patch where i grow calendula etc and i've set some marigold seeds and pansy seeds as i love them and i'll be growing sunflowers toxx
Corn is wind pollinated. Pollinators won't do anything for it. You can improve pollination by planting in a block, and if it's not so windy you can tap the stems to knock pollen off the flower onto the tassels.
Spot on Jane. I grow in my garden rather than an allotment so flowers are a comprehensive part of everything I do there. As for recommendations…Sweetpeas, rudbeckia, dahlias, cosmos, calendula, snapdragons and of course marigolds. All are pretty easy to grow, beautiful and useful. All the best. Mags
The friend who says vegetables themselves flower… 99% of the veg we grow has been deliberately selectively bred to prevent bolting/flowering! Brilliant vid Jane!
for some reason I haven’t got any purple crocuses this year, only the yellow!
companion planting, need to plant my marigold seeds to put into poly tunnel and my raided beds outside!
I do try to pick some of my flowers to bring into the house, I never buy flowers regularly because of the cost but I do treat myself every so often if its on offer!
we are very lucky of our mature garden that seems to go through the seasons of some touches of colour all year round but now looking at improving those where we can!
Jane great tips,and selling the flower addition for for sure very well. Because I can't have flowers in my house over allergy issues with family members,I do love to have them in my growing areas. I live to watch mother nature's little friends enjoying the flowers. I even love leaving some onions go to seed as the flowers are so beautiful. Thanks for a great video Jane.
Hi Jane
I couldn't agree more about growing flowers in the veg garden 🌹, so many benefits.
Can I point out, I love your wallpaper and I loved your beautiful jumper but you almost disappeared into the background. It's a good job you had a pale coloured table top for definition 😂😂😂
Loved the video 👍
Hi Jane, I’m with you 100% on mixed planting, don’t just grow flowers with your vegetables, why not grow vegetables with your flowers and reap the rewards. I have fruit bushes, flowers, vegetables and herbs all mixed in together and they all support each other and the insect population. In history all the workers cottage gardens were planted this way. Take care. Nia
I want to do zinnias for the first time and sunflowers. I have 4 beds that I want to put the sunflower in the center. Maybe make a screen of them to hide the propane tank.
Hi Jane, I don't need convincing, I've always done it. I grow all my flowers and veg from seed and love seeing them growing together and watching the benefits of doing so. Also letting some salad crops like Mizuna flower. I couldn't believe the amount of honey bees I had on this last year. My Buddleias are in there too and are always covered in beautiful butterflies. I definitely think it's a great idea.
I always grow flowers among my veggies even though my garden flower borders aren't far away. As well as the usual marigolds, nasturtiums, sweet peas, I grow sunflowers, and poppies which the bees go absolutely mad for!
Since having my own honey bees I've found out that in the UK, June is notorious for the 'June Gap' especially in the countryside. This is when bees struggle to find enough pollen and nectar and can easily starve. So I'm adding lots of June flowering Alliums everywhere this year too.
I'm having a go with some Tansy this year after reading that it 'may' deter mice, and flies. Got a pest issue here atm 😢 where I've been invaded by mice, like literally. The Pest Control guy is baiting weekly, but they are breeding faster than they are eating (grr). Think I need a birth control for mice … or something that works to eradicate them. Worse thing is, these have no fear of people so they are running riot. Cheeky sods are even waking me up by running over my legs at night. I am thinking of moving out lol.
Hi Jane I do grow flowers, especially sweetpeas, they smell divine, never thought of putting them in my hanging baskets, going to try it this season. I also have Mini Daffodils & larger tiahiti ones too. I do grow english Marigold too for pest control in the greenhouse. Only been doing this for tha past two years, I grew Rhubekia & Dahlia for the first time làst season too, although my Dahlias did get eaten, hasn't put me off, I currently have seedlings growing indoors at home. Could you reccommend flowers I could grow from seed for my hanging baskets? Love your videos, thanks for sharing and take care 🙂
I'm doing so much more this year Jane! Great video. Danny x
I always say the vegetables are food for my body, but the flowers are food for my soul.
Great video, Jane. I grow many rabbit-resistant annual flowers: french marigolds, calendula, nasturtium, cleome, California poppies, zinnia, alyssum and celosia are my favorites. Foxglove, columbine, rose campion, johnny jump up, and rudbeckia hirta are longer-lived favorites I start from seed.
Golly Jane, you've really made me think. I've grown a few flowers around my five raised veg beds, but know so little about them, flowers were my husband's department who sadly died nearly 8 years ago, I grew sweet peas and dahlias, but not much else. You have inspired me to get my act together and get the flower beds sorted. Thankyou. Jennifer