Companion planting-adding flowers & herbs to your kitchen garden
for beauty, scent, pollinators, pest deterrents, good insects, deliciousness and oh, the memories.
I remember following my grandmother out to her kitchen garden, where she cut a few sprigs of what was most likely parsley. Shooing some hens away, and with the screen door banging behind us, she washed the curly leaves under the kitchen faucet and patted them dry with a towel. She chopped and sprinkled them on a steaming bowl of chicken and dumplings. Arguably, the best dumplings in the world. Lining her kitchen shelves were canned jars, including pickles made with cucumbers and dill from the garden. I loved walking with her out to the garden, where sweet peas climbed on the wire fence in spring, and in early summer, cosmos danced in the breeze. I'm thinking of early summer now, in my garden. I walk out to a garden bench, past the raised beds, and brush by a few plants along the way. Rosemary's aroma fills the air with its lovely woodsy, eucalyptus-like aroma, while grandma's favorite, sweet peas, share their delicate, sweet floral scent all at the same time.
If the memories, beauty, and scents alone don't convince us, there are many more reasons to plant flowers and herbs as companions to our vegetables! Here are a few beautiful and hard-working kitchen garden favorites in today's journal entry.
Lavender – Sweetly scented lavender plants repel various flies and beetles while attracting pollinating insects. Bees love it, and I've found it helps deter pesky cabbage worms and moths that destroy brassicas–Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and broccoli. Another tip–plant basil and oregano nearby to increase lavender's vitality and growth.
Cosmos – Cosmos are one of my favorite garden flowers, not necessarily for its understated beauty but for its ability to attract green lacewings. White and orange cosmos are found to be more attractive to the lacewing. These sparkly-winged pale green insects are an effective natural enemy of aphids, mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, leafhoppers, and thrips. Other flowers and herbs that attract lacewings include dill, fennel, Queen Anne's Lace, and sunflowers. You want this natural pest control in your garden!
Marigolds – Often overlooked for their ordinariness, they are actually powerhouses in the garden. Marigolds repel squash bugs, thrips, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies. They’ll also send rabbits scurrying for someone else’s garden!
Zinnias – These simple beauties are magnets for bees and butterflies. They are also popular with hummingbirds. (Stay away from the paler versions that attract Japanese beetles.) They make a great cut and come again, and the more you cut them, the more flowers you'll have. They look great at outdoor gatherings in a canning jar.
Nasturtiums – Nasturtiums prefer cooler weather, so be sure to plant them with your spring and fall crops. They are beautiful, edible flowers to add to salads while also offering protection from squash bugs and beetles. They attract aphids but can serve as a trap crop (attracting aphids to the nasturtiums instead of your vegetables).
Borage – Borage flowers are attractive to bees and delight gardeners. Both its leaves and flowers are edible with a subtle cucumber flavor. The plant is fast-growing and can be directly sown into the ground. It's such a beautiful blue, it's hard to resist. It's perfect for a kitchen garden and a more casual cottage garden.
There are so many other companion flowers and herbs for kitchen gardens. I'd love to know your favorites and how you use them. Dressing up salads, cooking, attracting pollinators, repelling pests? What are your memories surrounding them? Let me know in the comments!
As always, if you’d like some help with deciding on what flowers and herbs to plant alongside your vegetable choices, we’re happy to assist. Email hello@storiedgarden.com or schedule a consultation today by clicking the button below.
Borage, with its lovely blue flowers, is a perfect addition to your kitchen garden. Read more about borage, above.