These Magic Flowers Will Repel Pests and Feed Your Plants

[@EarthThemesStudio]

An experiment that worked well for me was tying bundles of lavender in my apple and pear trees, since I didn't spray. I was amazed at how clean the fruit was. I have lots of lavender. I simply tied them in small bunches after cutting and hung them head down, I renewed them one time before fruit harvest.

[@BarbaraMcpherson]

I did same with pyretheum daisy, wormwood

[@GrowVeg]

What a fab tip!

[@Kylie_Nobody]

Do you think lemon grass would work a similar way?

[@rightangletriangle3188]

Good idea, thanks for sharing. I'll try that in my garden this year.

[@Windsais]

Did you tie them directly around the trunk? Do u have a pic? Do u think this would work for peach trees as well? Thanks for the wonderful tip!

[@helenloughrey7660]

I discovered that 2nd year Italian Parsley flowers attracted a tiny beneficial black wasp that didn’t mind me puttering right next to them - but they virtually eradicated the dread brown marmorated stink bug from my garden which is quite the accomplishment. Also I discovered that Japanese Beetles were killed when eating geranium flower petals. I also like interplanting creeping thyme as a ground cover and self seeding garlic chives as a pest deterrent .

[@GrowVeg]

What super tips, thanks for sharing this. :-)

[@dustyflats3832]

Yes, found dead bugs on geraniums. Had a terrible problem with gnats and aphids on seedlings last year and they didn’t bother geraniums or petunias. Found a couple lady bugs inside house and they cleaned up most of aphids.

[@CarolynHolbrook-q7s]

Great post, thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@firehorsewoman414]

Read same for four o’clocks, but haven’t tried it yet. Going to try your tip as well.

[@CarolynHolbrook-q7s]

Love borage and marigold in my garden and also sunflowers. Bees love the flowers and birds love the seeds! And I love the birds and the bees!

[@BelvaFisher]

Thank you for this video, especially introducing Bocking 14 Comfrey. I have discovered a couple things out of my own laziness or just observing what goes on in my veg garden. Phacelia or Bee's Friend: I had a bare patch at the end of the summer, early fall, decided to seed phacelia which likes cool weather. I read that they pull up nutrients from the soil and you can till them in. The patch grew and I was too lazy to cut them down before they reseed at the end of the growing season, so left it in place. It seeded and died back. Early the following spring, a patch of phacelia regrew in the same place. I transplanted most of it to another bed as a cover crop before basil, they transplant very easily. I left some behind in the original patch to grow among added veg starts. Because it comes up early, the place was buzzing with all kinds of good insects, honey bees, bumblebees, hover flies, parasitic wasps, and many more I can't ID. It brought beneficials swarming into my veg garden very early in the growing season. I now do this every year. Cosmos and Dill: I plant my potatoes and peas together each year and have cosmos and dill throughout the bed. The following year in the same bed I grew my brassicas and the cosmos and dill had reseeded in the bed from the previous year. I usually cover my brassica beds with hoops and thin bug deterring cover. I couldn't this one year because there was a wasp nest near by and couldn't get the hoops in place. So, not the usual protection from pests for my plants. I noticed the cabbage worm butterflies would fly around the bed but never land. I also noticed that a lot of lady bugs lived in that bed. I didn't have problems with cabbage worms and little problem with aphids, and also noticed that the flea beetles were more in check. I no longer make a hoop house for my brassicas, just grow a lot of dill and cosmos among them. I leave the cosmos and dill in the ground to over winter and am noticing that there are more lady bugs in those beds at the start of the growing season. Also, since cosmos and dill reseed each year, I rarely have to seed it myself, I now just transplant into other beds. Laziness and the power of cause/effect observation have led me to change my practices and rely on these wonderful veg garden companions.

[@GrowVeg]

This is incredibly useful first-hand experience - thanks so much for sharing this. Proves the power of the flower!

[@ravenhill4331]

Thank you so much for sharing your observations! Since I have a lot of pests on my cabbages, I will definitly try out the dill and cosmos combination. Best regards from Sweden 🇸🇪

[@pinkfox5651]

Thank you. ❤

[@emilyj25-jpg]

YOU NEED A TV SHOW!!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤ absolute legend!

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers so much! :-)

[@shinanbarclay67]

Dude you have really amped the quality of your presentations and information to a dynamic, yet still helpful and interesting level. BRAVO!

[@LilyoftheValeyrising]

Yes he does! He’s very knowledgeable and experienced! His energy is vibrant and attention grabbing.

[@sandracarli1110]

My mom uses borage flowers in salads and the leaves like spinach in ravioli. Yummy!

[@sherriianiro747]

Wow! This is one of your best videos Ben! I have learned more from you than any network gardening show!

[@GrowVeg]

That is high praise indeed. Thank you so much! :-)

[@sherriianiro747]

@@GrowVeg You're welcome! May I add any KZbin gardening show too! 😁

[@Free-dv2vm]

I always remember cleaning out my grandma's pond and tipping the water on her flower beds. The difference within a few weeks was noticeable

[@jodyvollmer4125]

I use this method every two weeks when I drain 20% from my Koi pond. It really made my raspberries thrive.

[@tweetytje007]

Calendula, marigold, nasturtium, lavender, borage, sunflowers, poppies, nettles, oregano, ...

[@GrowVeg]

Lovely mix!

[@tweetytje007]

@@GrowVeg thx, yes idd!!!

[@k.p.1139]

Ben you are a ray of flower-shine! 😄😄

[@GrowVeg]

Oh wow - thank you!

[@hameratahir]

Wow, didn't know comfrey was such a useful plant! It keeps on giving!

[@GrowVeg]

It really does - an amazing flower! :-)

[@keithfreeman7725]

It's classed as a rampant weed around me. I've had to dig 3ft down to get the roots out for friends, but theirs are flower beds, and I leave them to grow in mine near my little veg patch.

[@sassafrasred6657]

If you chop and drop the leaves and stems you control this plant.nature is far wiser than any human. Beware of experts and governmental advise

[@gregoryseager9191]

I use Calendula, French marigolds, Alyssum and Californian Poppy and Poach egg as they all attract the bees and for contrast a few deep blue Lobelia and Salvia plants. Amazingly there is still room for my Toms and Peppers!

[@GrowVeg]

That's a lovely mix of flowers!

[@GentrysGarden]

I like to add lots of nasturtiums to edges and corners of the raised beds. I add zinnias, marigolds, calendulas, and short varieties of cosmos. I started an entire raised bed of comfrey this year. The leaves are huge. Next year I’ll start chopping them a few times a summer to add to the compost bins. Great video!

[@lindas9806]

I started a comfrey bed this year too!

[@GrowVeg]

Lots of lovely comfrey to look forward to!

[@dibalowen7074]

@@lindas9806 Where did you find your comfrey plants? I think it is available in Southern states and there are two varieties

[@lindas9806]

@@dibalowen7074 I bought my on Etsy. All grew and are coming back this year. Be sure to get Bocking 14, those are not as invasive. They come as small “wood” cuttings. They grew really fast. Died off when it got cold but coming back up nicely.

[@leannepearson5396]

I love to use both Alyssum and Yarrow in my gardens. They attract a lot of beneficial insects. No problems with pollination or pests by keeping those two plants in my garden. Thank you for your informative video.

[@GrowVeg]

Great additions too Leanne. :-)

[@michmash7888]

Salvia is a big hit with the bees in my yard! 😊

[@GrowVeg]

That's a real bee magnet - lovely!

[@jeas4980]

I've been using tons of Rumex sanguineus (bloody dock/red vein dock) from the Sorrel family this year; in the same ways you've shown using comfrey. Unbelievable results! Yesterday I pulled a 2' x 2' section of my early potato bed (just checking).. 4 plants produced over 7 and a half lbs of potatoes!! And they're beautiful... no scab, no bug damage, just pretty little egg sized taters. No blossom end rot on the tomatoes coming about now, either. The squash is vigorous and (so far) pest free!

[@GrowVeg]

What a superb result! :-)

[@lovecara1]

I love your style Ben, you always make me smile and i learn so much.

[@GrowVeg]

Really appreciate it, thank you. :-)

[@JATJAT330]

I absolutely LOVE growing borage. But I also love growing phacelia. The bees go bonkers for it and its definitely one I recommend

[@GrowVeg]

A great recommendation - a really valuable green manure/cover crop too.

[@R3ckNaR]

I've added nasturtium, calendula, tiger lilies, rue, dahlias, gardenias, lilies of the valley, marigolds, peonies, hydrangeas, and hostas in or around my vegetable garden and yard. We're finally getting good blooms on all of them this year, and our garden is a feast for the eyes! And I love making salads with the edible flowers -- nasturtium, tiger lilies, marigolds. I'm definitely going to add comfrey, borage, and French marigolds! Thanks!

[@GrowVeg]

What a fab list of flowers!

[@NatashaAllisonMissionAFamily]

I love calendula. It flowers right through winter and attracts insects. The flowers are edible and great in antiseptic salves/skin ointments.

[@MarKeMu125]

Apparently there'd weak evidence on the effectiveness of Comfrey for healing wounds, Yarrow however is backed up more by clinical research.

[@EtherealSunset]

I used to use a calendula salve on my son when he was little. He'd get dry cracked lips in the winter (it runs in the family) and would try wetting them, which made it worse. I used to put it on any time we'd go outside. It prevented it getting worse and used to speed up healing too. Definitely something worth having around. Great for insects and pretty too.

[@danih7577]

Calendula is my favorite companion flower. It’s a great herb for moving the lymphatic system. calendula works to stimulate lymphatic drainage and move congestion out of the body. I dry my flower heads and place 1 head in my tea ball with black tea daily. I add a few to bone broth to improve liver health and I also use it in my homemade hair oil. The more you prune /deadhead , the more flower heads in the garden. They are important for non honey bees ( the threatened species) because of their long bloom times. I love the variety of colors like pacific beauties. I really rave about their value to anyone who’ll listen after reading research and just falling in love with their sunny faces . Orange is my favorite in front of sages , bee balm , anise hyssop, and borage.

[@Ganpignanus]

@@MarKeMu125 comfrey is effective. i'have used it. tested it on myself. comfrey cream. it works very well. there's your proof. and it's not just me.

[@Ganpignanus]

@@MarKeMu125 peolpe also use it for healing horses hooves. it works.

[@joannmcculley8253]

So many little tidbits of info that i haven't heard anywhere else! What a lovely video. Thank you

[@melissapollard5447]

I always let a parsnip or two go to seed. The bees loooove parsnip flowers and parsnip seed is only good when it’s really fresh. So as soon as it dries and the bees are done with it, I’m replanting from my own seed stock.

[@GrowVeg]

I reckon parsnip flowers are some of the most stunning of all.

[@lucybarnard3954]

I have loads of comfrey on my plot, I’ve already got a bin of it fermenting ready in a few weeks. I prefer to use it as a fertiliser over nettles because I don’t like getting stung! X

[@GrowVeg]

One good reason to prioritise it!

[@trevor5290]

I plant marigolds everywhere and it helps to keep rabbits and deer away so my both my bee gardens and food gardens aren't expensive lunches for them.

[@janicealderson4329]

I have a huge comfrey patch now I ordered roots from Ireland 2 years ago - before La Poste charged me a load of tax to deliver. I like that you can just use it dry as well and the concentrate - brilliant!

[@steve20664]

Great video, I love the energy you put into these.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much. :-)

[@steve20664]

@@GrowVeg very welcome.

[@nathonfrancis]

Great show as always Ben!! Hope everything is growing well👍👍😊

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers Nathon!

[@coryc1466]

I do not know from personal experience, but after doing a little research, I’ve read that chamomile is a great flower to help ward off ticks and mosquitoes, and can be a natural perennial. Of course, you can always use it in teas and skin care

[@GrowVeg]

Great recommendation. :-)

[@zilvercederbom]

I'm a beginner gardener moving from just growing on the windowsill to now attempting to grow plants on my balcony. Literally giddy with ideas from your channel! :D

[@GrowVeg]

This is a joy to hear. Happy gardening! :-)

[@gardennerd1757]

Borage, Marigolds, and Nasturtiums are my main 3, since I have yet to find a good source for Comfrey. The Nasturtiums have such a lovely flavor in salads and sandwiches, as well as being a catch-all for pests.

[@GrowVeg]

Love nasturtiums in salads - so pretty.

[@donnasteward7670]

I started comfrey last year & this year they are huge and wow are they attracting bumble bees! I cut some leaves and put them around some of my plants. I'll be adding more before cold weather hits us here in the Chicago area.

[@GrowVeg]

It’s an awesome plant!

[@Onniesprairiegarden]

Oh, Ben. I love your videos! You've convinced me to order some new seeds 😄 I can't wait to have more space to grow. Thank you for the info!

[@GrowVeg]

Great stuff! Good to be getting more seeds in. :-)

[@ThrawnFett123]

Saw a wonderful video fully testing the major nutrients of "weed tea, grass tea, plant teas" and they don't measurably have a chemically significant impact. Yet I've seen them have an impact. This very specifically seems in your wheel house, with your consistency (key to science) way of filming. You have anecdotal evidence it works (I have seen it too) and I'd love to see controlled evidence it does, and have that trigger the reasons "WHY?" It does. I don't see many videos rolling out a year after they mention "oh by the way we'll see what happens here..." like I consistently do yours coming into 3 year old videos in the same style as this one

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the suggestion. I would like to try doing more experimental videos - comparing and contrasting. Looking in depth in to this is a really good idea. :-)

[@brightantwerp]

I love your sunny energy. 💜

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much. :-)

[@Marw123]

Funny, all of these beatiful flowers I either already have (comfrey) or will plant (borage and different types of marigolds). Love the videos!

[@GrowVeg]

That's fab to hear! :-)

[@rebeccadubose2434]

Love Borage. It reseeds every year and I always plant a few more.

[@Oktopia]

I mix nettle, and comfrey with Equisetum arvense to use as liquid fertilizer. It stinks but does lots of good for all of my plants. I have found good places to source all three of these plants. I had Borage last season and now the plants pop up all over my garden. Delightful!

[@gramblestump]

My comfrey and nettle stew smells awful im glad its not just me

[@renel7303]

The birds brought stinging nettle. A few the 1st year, more and more every year. My timing was bad, they went to seed. This year my backyard was completely covered in them. I get new crops spring & fall. Did I mention I welt up profoundly from those little prickly hairs.

[@Oktopia]

@@renel7303 You have officially become a nettle farmer :D Seems like you have good soil then, since nettles are notoriously picky eaters. :D

[@Oktopia]

@@gramblestump I usually give my neighbors a heads-up when I open my container. It smells like someone is spreading manure :D

[@renel7303]

@@Oktopia good to know. 😁 It has even partially crowded out the chick weed and Miner's Lettuce that has been on the north side for years. During the pandemic and intermittent supply chain issues we got a laugh out of the fact that most of our weeds were edible. Also have a small annual stand of wild oats out front. Big trees and birds.

[@MRIWILLPLAY]

My garden is full of alkanet, so very glad to have a use for it

[@jackstone4291]

Agree 1 nasturtiums and lots of different varieties too! Great helpful and just re ally great video!

[@GrysbokkieStudio]

Thanks just learned some invaluable tips. Wow how your garden has extended, beautiful!! Thank you.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much for watching. :-)

[@amiladybug9526]

Great video I use many that you mentioned. I have one comfrey plant and am hoping it's easy to get some more from this plant. I use nasturtiums too.

[@dn744]

Marigolds and Mesembryanthemum below my tomatoes and cucumber. Looks nice, plus so colourful 😊

[@GrowVeg]

Lovely idea - a real splash of colour. :-)

[@pansyvaughan5624]

Aghh, ive heard lots about comfrey and borage now I know about them more Thanks for the video .. Awesome info🎉

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much. :-)

[@anjkovo2138]

Camomile & Lavender for me. I found growing marigolds amongst veg beds attracts lots of slugs

[@joshcox3941]

Me too thry love marigolds

[@jeas4980]

I'm sorry. I selected your profile picture to get a better look at it.. it is so beautiful. And I watched the shorts on your channel. I'm sorry... it's clear your documenting these things is very important and not really intended for the public. Is Christine doing well? Is there anything I might be able to do to help? What an angel you are to be looking after her. Please, be safe. Many prayers your way.

[@nathonfrancis]

I have tons of marigolds, been too dry here for slugs but I could see how it would. The tomato horn worms are my bane....

[@RealBradMiller]

I find growing anything attracts slugs. 😂

[@nathonfrancis]

@@RealBradMiller especially trying to grow salad scraps under old firewood and loose bricks 😂🤣👍

[@MorganHertzen]

Your videos are a joy!

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much! :-)

[@indiebaby]

Borage is one of my favorites too!

[@kanianikevin9427]

I love marigold in my garden. In Uganda, particularly my region, we use the seeds for making tea ☕️ yum yum 🤤

[@GrowVeg]

Oh wow - sounds fab!

[@Jeffwalker66]

Just started my veg garden. Really good information and well presented 🎁 👍 a gift for us, you can say ❤

[@GrowVeg]

That's great to hear - I hope your new veg garden gets off to a flying start. Enjoy! :-)

[@Jeffwalker66]

@@GrowVeg thanks 😊 🙏

[@wrongwayconway]

My backyard garden is laid out so my raised veggie beds are in the centre of my yard and surrounded by a perennial flower border (echinacea, peony, primrose, columbine, hollyhock, roses, bee balm, rose of sharon, and pentstemon on 3 sides. I have an apple tree at the centre back of the yard too. Then I plant marigolds zinnias, and basil in with my veggies

[@GrowVeg]

Wow - you're garden must be alive with beneficial bugs. :-)

[@albertmo1722]

Hi Ben, I direct sew seeds of comfreys and borages into my raised bed. I now have a few of them growing well. My borages seem to do much better than my comfreys. I cannot wait to see their flowers bloom. Thank you for introducing me to these magical plants. Cheers, Albert from SF

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you've got them started Albert. :-)

[@sherylwhited7380]

Along with the three you featured, I always grow sweet alyssum, nasturtiums, zinnias, cosmos, and calendula.

[@GrowVeg]

Funnily enough, those are the exact same additional flowers I'm also growing (along with poached egg plant).

[@antoniawildmedia]

Beautiful and informative video! Great work GV! ❤

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers so much Antonia! Gotta love your flowers! ;-)

[@searose6192]

My kids and I love borage. They snack on the flowers and cut the stems for drinking straws in the summer time. It give a lovely cucumber flavor to water when you use it as a straw. I love to grow it next to calendula because the color plays off each other beautifully.

[@GrowVeg]

Will have to try the borage straw technique myself - great idea! :-)

[@jmallory6297]

Thank you for helpful information and tips!

[@JohannaVeerenhuis]

Thank you for your lovely -and enthousiastic- content! I always plant sunflowers around my kitchen garden. I use them for bouquets, but the birds love the seeds! If you dry comfrey leaves and let them steep in oil for a few weeks -all of that out of sunlight- it is a miracle oil to use on bruces or even fractures. Just not on open wound, these might heal too fast so ‘dirt’ could be trapped.

[@GrowVeg]

Great recommendation for the comfrey leaves, thank you so much. :-)

[@diannevergi4396]

Totally agree with the first 2. I differ slightly for the 3rd.. mine would be calendula.😊 your tutorials are awesome!

[@juliekraft4102]

More great information as always,thank you.

[@brumaybarnard4395]

Sweet Alyssum, bees love them.

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, definitely!

[@janetbull2616]

Great vlog so informative and I love watching them . I always learn something new and so love your enthusiasm 👍

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for watching Janet. :-)

[@ASJSI]

Borage is bad in the US South. We have squash vinebores and this flower helps them survive and multiply.

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks for the advice on this.

[@patriciaserdahl5577]

Thanks Ben my Comfrey doing great the Hummingbirds love it too I need to get Borage seeds have a blessed day 😊great information n video

[@GrowVeg]

And you too. Definitely worth growing the borage - it's a joy!

[@priayief]

Interesting video. I've grown the Bocking 14 variety of comfrey for many years. I find it produces about 5 crops each gardening season. I use it as a mulch and/or an addition to my compost bin. I grow it along my fence and it seems to deter my turfgrass from encroaching on my fence-line. I've never really tested this idea; it's just an observation that I've made without any real testing. No, I don't use comfrey as a garden tea ... while I dabbled with "garden teas" years ago, I've never been convinced that they're worth the effort. All I can say (generally speaking) is that they don't seem to do any harm. This was my first season at growing borage. Seems to be a prolific plant and good for attracting pollinators. I don't yet know how well it grows back after severe pruning, but if it grows back like comfrey, I'll probably do it again.

[@GrowVeg]

Hope your borage grows well - it's a such a great addition to the garden.

[@Mischiou]

Another excellent video. Thank you Ben for being such an inspiration.

[@Arcticdi]

Three excellent flowers! Good choices if you have to narrow it down.

[@miradfalco251]

I love comfrey, marigold, monarda, calendula, borage, dill, & fennel. I grow nasturtium as a vegetable. The flowers in salad & as an edible garnish, the leaves raw in salads, or shredded into omelets of quesadillas, & the buds to pickle. I've also got beds of sage, thyme, winter savory, & various chive types. Add in a range of basil types, parsley, perilla , & whatever other herbs I can find room for, & makes for a gorgeous & tasty garden.

[@GrowVeg]

Your garden sounds sublime! :-)

[@lyndaturner6686]

Another great video Ben, I’d sown some Borage in a pot also in an unused space , I forgot to label the pot and yesterday was wondering what the little plant was , now I know it’s exactly like the little one you planted.👍

[@GrowVeg]

That's great to hear. It'll be a real asset to your garden I'm sure.

[@valerie4975]

I like salvia too! I planted one comfry last year and it came back ENORMOUS this year!!

[@GrowVeg]

That's a great one for the bees and butterflies.

[@albertmo1722]

Hi Ben, My comfrey plants are blooming; it has been a long wait. Thank you for introducing Comfrey and Borage to me! Cheers, Albert

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased they’re blooming. Great job Albert! 😀

[@albertmo1722]

@@GrowVeg Thanks!

[@spacemo62]

This year I planted nasturtiums (which REALLY drew the aphids to it), calendula, dozens of marigolds, and sunflowers. The pollinators were slow to come this year due to a wet and cold spring and early summer but now they are buzzing. One question: I would love to see ladybugs and honeybees but sadly there are none. The bee species I see are almost all bumblebees along with some tiny wasps. Any hints for attracting honeybees? Love your videos, I learn more form them than from any other gardening videos (and love your energy and enthusiasm!)

[@GrowVeg]

It may just be the case that there aren't many honeybees in your area. If you are attracting bumblebees, then if there were honeybees you'd definitely be drawing them in too. The fact you have other pollinators about is great.

[@reer5340]

for starter gardens, ( I am in the process of establishing one right now) I like calendula (it is a beast of a plant, virtually indestructible in open ground, with massive roots despite its fragile appearance) followed by nasturtiums, which once established will cover ground quickly preparing it for future planting. Also sunflowers is something I'll be using soon as well as topinambur (Jerusalem artichoke)

[@GrowVeg]

All great recommendations!

[@mococlimbing]

Hi. I live high on the pirynees , i have borage all year round . It survives well covered by windows glass , and also outside under the snowfalls and withstand freezzing temperatures too.

[@GrowVeg]

That's really reassuring. Hoping it will re-seed in my own garden year after year now I have it.

[@serenanorrell4962]

I’m growing nasturtiums and thyme for pest control.

[@zan4110]

Great video...I have lots of comfrey..Will start a fertiliser tomorrow...😊

[@blenderbenderguy]

The Comfrey seed I bought was SUPPOSED to be Bocking 14, though it turned out not to be. I am inundated with Comfrey to the point that I lost two entire raised beds because it took over, and there's no getting rid of it. Be careful in your seed selection!

[@markhedger6378]

Cover your bed with black plastic or old black roofing felt for a year it will die off (place old slates , bricks etc on top to weigh it down) good luck

[@one_field]

😢 Always be suspicious of anyone selling seed from a sterile plant that doesn't produce seed.

[@Jillyjogs]

I bought 2 plants from an organic grower years ago, I am wary of seeds from online non reputable growers

[@jabohabo3821]

Give it a bed and continually harvest the nutrient rich plant matter.

[@TheGreenPond-nature]

Chop off the flowers before they seed

[@katiedecker4644]

Nasturtiums, cosmos, and zinnia seem helpful as well!

[@GardenofGrace601]

I like to use perennial salvia, marigolds and lots of basil…

[@elizabethlane8690]

I grow nasturtiums, French marigolds and sunflowers! Nasturtiums as an aphid lure, and they’re pretty, and the marigolds and sunflowers for beautiful flowers!

[@GrowVeg]

A lovely combination. :-)

[@PNW-Whidbey]

Nasturtium, Borage, Calendula and Chives are among my favorite veggie garden flowers. I also go for hardy, slug-proof perennials like crocosmia, columbine and lavender.

[@GrowVeg]

Great options - real winners!

[@pixie0809]

I tried marigolds last year in my greenhouse and in beds as I had read that cats don’t like them and they have some affect on binder weed which I grow too successfully! Loved the video

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much. I love marigolds primarily for the cheery colour they bring to the garden.

[@EtherealSunset]

Did it work? I have too much Bindweed and issues with cats in the beds too, so this may be a good thing for me to plant.

[@plchilson6283]

I have major issues with cats and all my marigolds did not phase them, they lay in the peppermint and I have now planted 3 separate locations in my garden lemon thyme. Trying some lavender also this year. Next on my list are wire covers on hoops. Just laying wire over the soil doesn't work, it needs to be suspended. Citrus peels work well but daily supply isn't available. I was given an espozte plant that is very potent smelling that I will be encouraging lots of growth! I also have catnip positioned on the other side if the yard to see how that helps.

[@lilaclilly198]

Ben this a interesting and useful video. I will definitely give it a go. I find all your videos interesting! Thank you🤗

[@GrowVeg]

Thanks so much. :-)

[@neilbauer7327]

Nasturtians and Alyssum are 2 favourites of mine, along with marigolds.

[@GrowVeg]

Definitely!

[@sharkbaitseamus]

Bee balm is hands-down the easiest way to get bees in my yard. I live in zone 8 by the coast where the soil is almost completely sand, and the bee balm thrives here. It self-seeds every year and only requires watering during really dry periods.

[@GrowVeg]

Great recommendation, and totally agree. :-)

[@jackieo8693]

What plant deters slugs?

[@GrowVeg]

Not sure if plants specifically deter slugs, but some plants are resistant at least. More on slugs here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHvZhqqhe7-Yha8

[@jackieo8693]

@@GrowVeg thank you

[@kalamityjayne7056]

A shallow bowl/tray of beer will attract and drown them

[@markvincent5241]

Another awesome video, thanks Ben. Love to give comfrey a go.

[@GrowVeg]

Cheers Mark!

[@joybrown8644]

The flower I noticed the most effectiveness from (last year at least) was Alyssum! 😊❤ It was mid-August and they were looking quite scraggly, half dead, really. So, I went ahead and removed them. Within a week I noticed much larger populations of pests on my Brussels. I’ll never remove them early again! I found that Nasturtiums grew too quickly and shaded the lower portions of my cucumber plant. I had to continually cut it back. However, I did have A LOT of cucumbers! AND - I even had a “baby” praying mantis! I take that as an ultimate success. So, maybe I will do the nasturtium again. Marigolds- I have my fingers (and toes!) crossed that this will be the year my marigolds stay under two feet tall. 🙄😂 I have one of my raised beds called a “Winged Friends” garden planted with echinacea, bee balm, blazing star (all around the edges) and a grouping or bright orange butterfly weed in the middle. Gorgeous!

[@GrowVeg]

Love the sound of your Winged Friends Garden - beautiful! :-)

[@SunshineCountryChickens]

I collect citrus petal flowers by placing a tarp under the tree and catch them as they fall to the ground after being fertilized and use to make jelly and syrup, alone or with elderberries etc

[@GrowVeg]

Wow - what a fab idea!

[@Picci25021973]

Nice video! I use the same flowers, planted as borders all around the garden... and with a lot of calendula as well

[@GrowVeg]

Winning combination!

[@the_magician_93]

i coverd my hole tomato bed with normal marigolds to prevent the water splashing up dirt and diseases onto my tomato's and the extra polinators is a big bonus^^

[@marymcandrew7667]

I found it interesting that Alkanet is so good to use this way and really pretty. I have used Alkanet root ordered online, to color handmade soap! We have the room to let it grow wild so I'd like to try it, thanks Ben!

[@GrowVeg]

Great idea. Just be sure to keep it hemmed in so it doesn't spread. :-)

[@healthygreenbrave]

I LOVE to eat comfrey flowers! They have such a sweet, honey-like flavor! I also use it in my owie salve

[@haikufarm]

Ooooh, great info about borage, I have some growing and I think I'll throw some more seeds in tomorrow! I love throwing nasturtium seeds everywhere--pretty and edible. But calendula is probably the big winner here at Haiku Farm--they self-seed so easily and drown out weeds, but are easy to remove when they grow in a spot where my vegetables should grow. In our maritime climate, I sometimes have calendula flowers from June until December.

[@GrowVeg]

It's a real winner. I wouldn't be without calendula for sure. :-)

[@bobbyjones7505]

Super interesting video! Definitely going to grow some of these next year! Thank you

[@anneobrien3878]

I love Nasturtiums (everywhere!) and poached egg plants next to the beans.

[@GrowVeg]

Same here!

[@4_19crew.gingerWizard]

Nettle provides a lot of really good nutrition as well and can be prepared in an anaerobic with borage and Horsetail

[@valoriegriego5212]

Howdy Ben and Rosie! 😃 Loads of great information! 👍Thank you! I'm going to make that grass tea.

[@GrowVeg]

Great stuff Valorie! :-)

[@ninemoonplanet]

I haven't seen wild comfrey, but to be honest, I wasn't looking. Borage is everywhere around here, so I learned more about it's properties and uses.

[@GrowVeg]

Lovely to have wild borage about!

[@fabricdragon]

i would add nasturtium, chamomile, and alyssum... many of the herbs i grow for other reasons have floweres that attract all sorts of beneficial buzzers, thyme, for instance but also i have a soft spot for daylilies.

[@GrowVeg]

A great choice of flowers. You can even eat daylily flower buds.

[@draco4540]

thanks for showing those beneficial insects. just some bugs on one of plants. a whole bunch of them. i didn't know what they were. now i know. they're lacewings. glad to know that i got some beneficial insects.

[@GrowVeg]

So pleased you have lacewings - they'll do your garden a lot of good. :)

[@ljgerken]

Great video! I am in west central Florida. I have marigolds in an enclosed area where the rabbits and squirrels cannot eat them. I planted blue borage in February and they lasted a few months and then got a bad case of aphids and died. I now have baby plants in many places around the original plant. I will transplant the seedlings to sunnier locations, as I think that may have been why the plant suffered. It's also warmer, and maybe they will do better now. I will try the sterile comfry. When you chop comfry and use it in your raised garden beds, do you remove the flowers first so that they don't reseed where you don't want them to?

[@shalmaahad6915]

I want to know this as well

[@flowerheit4512]

Greetings from eastern central Florida! I grew borage as a companion to my brassicas last fall and found it did really well then. I have also found that growing dwarf sunflowers a few weeks before everything else helps a lot with aphids- they go to the sunflowers and tend to leave the rest of my garden alone, and the sunflowers are hardy enough to survive being heavily loaded with pests until the ladybugs and other good bugs start to show up

[@GrowVeg]

Yes, I don't drop the comfrey if it has gone to seed - just to be on the safe side. Leaves, stems and flowers are fine though.

[@bluestar.8938]

Thank you Mr Ben : )

[@GrowVeg]

:-)