Choose tasty, edible flowers for your organic garden that double as companion plants to get more out of your little piece of Eden. Organic gardening is about more than not using chemicals. It’s about stepping back, having patience and letting Mother Nature work her magic. You can assist her by combining flowers, herbs and vegetables that benefit one another and attract beneficial insects into the garden. This is the key to organic gardening success regardless of what crop you are growing.
Table of Contents
Calendula is an edible plant used to add natural color to icing, cheese or butter. The petals, fresh or dried, are used to make salves or to add a zesty flavor to soups or salads. In the garden, these flowers serve multiple purposes. The vibrant orange and yellow flowers add a burst of color. Calendula lures beneficial insects into the garden and also traps bad bugs. Aphids and whiteflies are drawn to this plant. Locate a few plants in an area away from the main garden to lure these bugs away from most of the plants. Do not destroy bug infected Calendula because beneficial insects will be drawn to them and eat the bad bugs up. Dogs, the asparagus beetle and the tomato hornworm dislike this plant, so inter-plant them with asparagus and tomatoes.
The peppery tasting flowers of Nasturtium are high in Vitamin C, add a colorful burst of flavor to salads and are often used as a garnish. Nasturtium flowers have both single and double flowers. They come in many colors including red, orange, rose and crimson. There is dwarf, semi-trailing and climbing varieties of Nasturtium. In the garden, Nasturtium traps flea beetles and aphids. Grow Nasturtium plants near mint, oregano, fruit trees, radish, cabbage and members of the cucurbit family. It helps to repel the Mexican bean beetle, cabbage pests, whiteflies, squash bugs, plus the striped cucumber and pumpkin beetles.
Pansy and Violas are popular edible flowers that look as good dry as they do fresh. Eat them fresh in salads or candy them to use as decorations on desserts. Pansies and violas have a sweet, grassy flavor with a slight wintergreen taste. Both plants prefer growing in the cool season. Fall planted pansy will overwinter, coming back the following spring, then set seed and die. Viola is a perennial plant that rapidly naturalizes in the garden. A perennial plant is one that comes back year after year from the plant’s original root system. Pansies have a wider range of colors than Violas and also have larger flowers. Pansy flower colors include shades of brown, purple, yellow, orange and white.
Lemon Gem and Tangerine Gem Marigolds have smaller flowers than ornamental Marigolds. The orange and yellow colored flower petals add a spicy, somewhat bitter taste to salads. These two particular varieties are not the type of Marigold known for attracting nematodes. Plant them among potatoes, strawberries, roses, tomatoes and eggplants to add color to the garden and deter a variety of insects including the Mexican bean beetle. Signet Marigolds do attract a variety of beneficial insects including butterflies and bees.
Most homeowners have probably spent hours looking at the different types of garden seeders. You may have even come across…
When it comes to vehicle lovers, cleaning their cars on a regular basis is essential to maintaining the paint job's…
Gas chainsaws are the perfect tool for a variety of outdoor tasks, including chopping up logs for firewood, clearing brush…
A home can be a daunting project, one that takes some time and energy to maintain. With hard work, determination,…
Today ginger is grown all over tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, in parts of Africa and South America, and…
Onions are one of the most popular vegetables in the world, and growing onions is a snap in the home…