Beautiful Defenders: Companion Flowers

Flowers add colour, vibrance and energy to a garden. In special cases they also act as defenders and promoters of improved growth when planted with vegetables and herbs. The Beautiful 8 is a collection of the top flowers you can use in your garden as companions.

Alyssum

Pollinators can’t resist this annual. Also great for planting between rows to keep weeds down.

Amaranthus

Grows tall and strong, plant with corn to shade soil and preserve water. Also attracts predatory ground beetles.

Calendula

A natural repellant for many harmful nematodes. Great helpers of tomatoes and asparagus. Can attract slugs. Also known as pot marigolds, calendula is a popular medicinal herb which is also used in making teas, creams and lotions.

Chrysanthemum 

White varieties are used in the garden to help repel Japanese beetles.

French Marigold 

Used commercially as a nematode suppressant, they produce a chemical that kills nematodes. Also deters whiteflies.

Nasturtium

Trap aphids, deter cucumber beetle and whiteflies. Also attracts predator insects. Great companion to brassicas, cucumbers, melons, radishes and tomatoes.

Sunflower

Can you picture ants as farmers? Ants herd aphids onto sunflowers with no damage to the plant. When planted near corn it’s said to improve yields.

Yarrow

Has a smell aphids can’t stand but hoverflies, ladybugs, and wasps that feast on garden grubs love. Happens to be a perennial.