A gardener is urging people to add one cheap plant to garden beds and vegetable patches, as it will protect the rest of your plants from being eaten by pests, like snails and slugs
Alice Sjöberg Social News Reporter
09:50, 30 Apr 2026Updated 09:50, 30 Apr 2026
The gardener explained how adding one more plant to your garden beds can help protect plants from being eaten by pests (stock iamge)(Image: Getty Images)
A gardening expert has shared the one plant he considers indispensable for every garden, thanks to its natural pest control capabilities. Gardeners at every level will recognise the continuous battle against troublesome pests such as slugs, snails and various insects.
The good news is, you don’t have to resort to harmful chemicals to keep them at bay if you just add a few key plants to your usual line-up. To assist people in tackling this problem, gardener Joe, known online as ‘JoesGarden’, has revealed his top recommendation for keeping these unwanted visitors away, which centres on introducing a specific plant into your garden and vegetable patch.
“This here is one simple plant that I recommend in every garden,” he said at the start of his TikTok video. “Every part of my garden has to have nasturtiums.”
He went on to highlight the advantages of this plant, noting: “What’s really cool is the whole plant, including the flowers, the seed pods, and even the leaves are 100 per cent edible.”
“But more importantly, they’re fantastic when planted in your vegetable patch because absolutely everything loves to eat them,” he added
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Joe explained that the appeal of nasturtiums to pests actually works in gardeners’ favour, as it draws them away from other plants.
“Slugs and snails can’t get enough of nasturtium foliage, and cabbage butterflies love laying their caterpillar eggs underneath the leaves,” he said.
By planting them near your other plants and vegetable patches, nasturtiums serve as a natural pest deterrent, protecting your prized crops from harm.
Joe suggested that April is the perfect month to plant nasturtiums to your garden, whether you decide to purchase a cheap plant from a shop or grow them from seed yourself.
He explained: “And now is the perfect time to pick up a few cheap nasturtium plants from the shops, or even better, sow some seeds to plant all around the garden, where each year, they’ll grow, bloom, and self-seed to return every spring, giving you an almost endless supply all from a few cheap plants.”
In the comments section, viewers were keen to share their own experiences of growing nasturtiums, with many highlighting the plant’s remarkable versatility.
One person wrote: “I till my garden once a year, I planted these guys once, 10 years ago. I’ve never had to reseed. They are currently growing now. Once they drop seeds they live there now.”
Another commented: “I make a pesto using the nasturtium leaves and flowers! Good way to bulk up a basil pesto, and it’s delicious peppery flavour!”
While a third viewer added: “I’ve got a bunch in purple and a white/yellow colour as they are so good to hide dodgy fencing too.”
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