Certain special flowers act as defenders of the garden, promoting growth when planted with vegetables and herbs. The following is a collection of the top flowers you can use in your Niagara garden as companions for your other plants!
Alyssum – Pollinators can’t resist this annual. It's also great for planting between rows to keep weeds down.
Amaranthus – Grows tall and strong. Plant amaranthus with corn to shade the soil and preserve water. Also attracts predatory ground beetles.
French Marigold – Used commercially as a nematode suppressant, they produce a chemical that kills nematodes. Also deters whiteflies.
Calendula – A natural repellent for many harmful nematodes. Great helpers of tomatoes and asparagus. Can attract slugs. Also known as pot marigolds, calendula is a popular medicinal herb that is also used to make teas, creams and lotions.
Chrysanthemum – White varieties are used in the garden to help repel Japanese beetles.
Nasturtium – Traps aphids, deters cucumber beetles 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 it. Bonus, it happens to be a perennial.
