GardenDesk

May Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

I know I mainly write about edible gardening here at GardenDesk, so I thought I'd take the opportunity today to participate in May Dreams Gardens monthly Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and show some flowers in our yard.

The predominant bloom in our yard right now is from purple irises. We have them scattered throughout the flower beds along our fences, the back of the house and even in front of the greenhouse.

Next to the greenhouse, we just planted three rose moss plants that my wife got from our church for Mother's Day. No that they are blooming, I see why they are named rose moss.

In the front yard by the driveway's retaining wall, we have some creeping phlox in front of a butterfly bush that is just now getting leaves.

Behind the phlox and butterfly bush, and in the back of the vegetable garden we have three peony bushes that are just starting to bloom.

The peonies might be getting some help from the ants.

It seems the ants also like strawberry blooms.

See, I guess I couldn't even get through one post without mentioning something edible in the garden. Oh well, while I'm at it, the blueberries are just beginning to bloom as well.

Well, there you have it. That is most of whats blooming in our yard right now. Happy GBBD!

- Marc

Grow flowers in the vegetable garden for beauty and pest control

Many easy to grow annual flowers do well in the vegetable garden. They add visual appeal, attract pollinators but actually chase away or confuse some other insect pests. Companion planting with marigolds is the most popular and perhaps the most effective.

Marigolds deter or actually kill the root knot nematodes that live in the soil and can attack the roots of your plants. Marigolds also help keep away insects that you can see above ground. Plant them with beans to deter the Mexican Bean Beetle, with squash to confuse squash bugs, and anywhere to combat thrips, white flies, horn worms and probably others.

Grow Nasturtiums up a trellis alongside your beans or cucumbers for added color and to deter bugs as well. They are supposed to help with the Colorado Potato Beetle among others. Nasturtium flowers can also be eaten in salads!

Sunflowers look great as an edging on the north side of the vegetable patch and can add a windbreak if you get high winds where your vegetables are. Any other annuals will also add beauty to your veggie patch from their blooms and from attracting butterflies.

What made me think about planting flowers in our garden this year was that we visited a butterfly show yesterday. The butterflies were beautiful but the flowers were equally as pretty. Most of them were annuals that are easy to grow. So I'll leave you with some pictures we took from the butterfly exhibit.

So consider adding marigolds or other annual flowers to your vegetable garden, and maybe you'll get butterflies too!