Photo credit: Mark Dwyer Combining herbs and flowers such as nasturtiums and lavender with vegetables is a great way to create an edible landscape. Combining vegetables and flowers and herbs for a beautiful garden

Flowers are a beautiful addition to any yard. At the same time, vegetables provide an inexpensive, healthy source of fresh food. But planting them together will not only beautify a vegetable patch, the right flowers will act as incredible organic pest deterrents while attracting good insects, such as pollinators, while at the same time eliminating the use of chemical pesticides.

“Smart gardeners intersperse flowering herbs, annual flowers and native perennials among the vegetable garden,” says Michigan State University Extension. “These plants add diversity to your garden, provide valuable food and shelter for native pollinators and beneficial insects that provide natural pest protection in your garden.”

Flowers such as nasturtiums and marigolds are not only beautiful, they are powerhouses.

“Companion planting with flowers and herbs can repel an assortment of insect pests, as well as deer, rabbits, and other unwanted garden visitors,” says Zero Waste Homestead.

“Pest-repellent plants containing powerful essential oils may help discourage pests, but they are rarely a perfect solution to a serious invasion,” states Pro-Mix.

Marigolds are among the most versatile of flowers.

“Marigolds are famous for their ability to repel a variety of pests,” gardenia.net states.

Their distinctive scent is known to deter many garden insects, including aphids, cabbage maggots, Colorado potato beetles, corn earworm, cucumber and flee beetles, squash bugs, even mosquitoes and nematodes.

At the same time, companion planting with flowers and herbs can repel an assortment of insect pests, as well as deer, rabbits, and other unwanted garden visitors, the website says, adding:

“Companion planting with flowers and herbs can repel an assortment of insect pests, as well as deer, rabbits, and other unwanted garden visitors.”

Tansy, says Canepa Landscaping, has camphor-scented foliage that acts as a repellent to pests. Because of its bright yellow button flowers, tansy also attracts pollinators and beneficial insects into the garden. It is a beneficial companion plant to several crops, including cabbage, kale, broccoli, squash, cucumbers and potatoes. Tansy can protect your garden from ants, moths, mosquitos, ticks and mice.

The site also lists lavender, saying the soothing scent of lavender actually repels mosquitos, moths, fleas and other pests. Its oil acts as an outstanding mosquito repellent, as well. The smell comes from the essential oils on its leaves. The best companion plants for lavender include kale, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. Planting lavender under apple trees helps keep the moths away.

Other flowers for the vegetable garden include: nasturtiums, alyssum, borage and sunflowers.

Herbs that repel harmful insects while attracting beneficial ones include comfrey, dill and mint.

Mint repels spiders, ants and mosquitoes.

Basil helps protect tomatoes from hookworm, and deters mosquitoes and houseflies.

A few cloves of garlic planted here and there will deter codling moths, cabbage loopers, and fungus gnats. Earth’s Ally reports that garlic also deters vampires.

Vegetable gardens do not have to be planted in rows. Because they can be planted in blocks, along house foundations and walking paths, the addition of flowers that attract beneficial insects, including bees, will not only enhance gardening, they will make any garden more vibrant and colorful. Selecting herbs and edible flowers to plant among vegetables is a great way to create an edible landscape.