Plant neighbors: plant flowers in the vegetable patch

Many strictly separate their flower and vegetable beds from each other. Here's why it makes sense to plant flowers and vegetables next to each other.

In many gardens you see the same picture: while flowers and perennials bloom on one side of the garden, fruit and vegetables are neatly accommodated in another bed. Often there are even hedges or fences between the individual beds in order to completely prevent the ornamental garden and vegetable bed from mixing. But does such a separation still make sense? We explain why one mixed culture with flowers in the vegetable patch should not be missing.

Mixed crops of flowers and vegetables often have a negative reputation among gardeners. So they are considered neglected and less productive than the classic monoculture with strictly separated beds. In fact, mixed cultures have numerous advantages that can hardly be overlooked.

Planting flowers and vegetables together: these are the advantages

Some flowers secrete so-called root exudates, which benefit neighboring plants, or protect their bed partners from annoying pests with an intense smell. In addition, certain plants store nitrogen in the soil and thus act as a natural fertilizer, while monocultures usually exhaust the soil one-sidedly. This not only saves insecticides in a mixed culture, but also fertilizer - and cultivation is also more ecological in this way. If you also choose flowers that form particularly deep and strong roots, the soil structure improves Loosening and aeration of the soil again - with a mixed culture you can sustainably preserve the soil quality and even improve.

In contrast to other plants, flowers have another decisive advantage: they are real magnets for beneficial insects. What doesn't sound spectacular at first glance can help to bring about a rich harvest. become like this bees and bumblebees Attracted by the bright colors and the sweet scent of the flowers, they find themselves in the vegetable patch. Here, however, they not only pollinate the flowers, but also numerous useful plants such as tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), strawberries (Fragaria) or zucchini (Cucurbita pepo var. giromontiina). This not only increases the amount of fruit harvested, but can even positively influence its size and quality. Finally, it should be mentioned that a mixed culture also has a high decorative value. The interplay of green leaves and colorful flowers can even become such a feast for the eyes that the vegetable patch turns out to be a real eye-catcher in the garden.

What are the advantages of planting flowers and vegetables together?

• pest control
• Strengthening of neighboring plants
• Natural fertilization
• improvement of the soil structure
• Setting visual accents

Planting flowers and vegetables together: This is how it works

If you want to start a mixed culture, you are often faced with a seemingly insurmountable task. In reality, however, creating a vegetable patch with flowers is not that difficult. In the following you will learn step by step how best to proceed when creating a mixed bed.

Instructions for creating a mixed bed:

• Select vegetables: Decide which useful plants should definitely find a place in your garden and how many of the individual plants you want to sow.
• Find plant partners: Not every flower goes well with every type of vegetable, but some combinations have neither positive nor negative aspects. Look for one or more planting partners for your vegetables that have a positive influence. (Tip: Not only flowers can have a positive influence - some vegetables also influence each other positively.)
• Determine plant neighbors: Not only the immediate plant partner, but also the direct neighbors should harmonize with each other. Plants that have negative effects on each other should be as far apart as possible.
• Create bed: Now it's time to get active - once you have a rough plan for the mixed culture, you can start preparing the bed and sowing the plants.
• Observe crop rotation: While a mixed culture doesn't deplete the soil as much as a monoculture, it should here regularly the place to be changed to soil-borne parasites as well as soil fatigue to prevent It is easy and effective to move the plants by one or more rows every year.

tip: More general tips for Planting a vegetable patch – about the location, planting plan and building instructions – can be found in our special article.

Planting flowers and vegetables together: Particularly suitable types of flowers

The following types of flowers are particularly suitable for planting together with vegetables in a mixed culture.

Which types of flowers are particularly suitable as plant neighbors for vegetables?

• bee friend (Phacelia): The name says it all - the bee friend acts as a real magnet for beneficial insects in the vegetable garden. After flowering, it can be considered valuable green manure be dug under the ground.
• scented vetch (Lathyrus odoratus): These flowers belong to the nitrogen collectors and thus ensure natural fertilization. However, they do not get along with other butterfly flowers.
• chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla): the medicinal plant also helps other plants – it supports the growth of cabbage and can even increase the resistance of some types of vegetables to fungal diseases. In addition, chamomile drives away the leek moth.
• Nasturtium (tropaeolum): The little plant is a real martyr in the vegetable patch. Because pests like to perch on it, its presence protects other plants from infestation.
• lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): This plant repels the cabbage white butterfly and also helps aphids and mildew.
• marigold (Calendula officinalis): With its long taproots, it reliably loosens the soil and thus improves the soil structure. She also sells snails and roundworms and lures beneficials like the honey bee.
• tagetes (tagetes): The marigold attracts bees like magic, but deters annoying ones cabbage flies reliable. In addition, it protects root vegetables from worm infestation and attracts the attention of snails, so that vegetables are less infested.

which Plants in a mixed culture best match, you will find out in this article.