Growing cabbage etc amongst flowers

[Wokman Profile Website]

I saw a programme on TV recently where somebody had planted cabbage, cauliflower and other leafy veg amongst the flower beds.
She said that it helped to keep down aphids as the insects living on the flowers would eat the intruders.
She also said that it helped to stop birds eating the young plants as they were harder to find with all the flowers around.

Does anyone here use the same tactics?

[jeral Profile]

I'm not sure as undoubtedly some plants attract aphids more than others do, so it's a great topic to discusss what to grow next to what.

I've only grown cabbages as ornamental ones in winter when no flowers to use as bedding plants. I recall growing dahlias once, lovely flowers but they ain't half an earwig magnet!

PS. Yey! Gardening Forum

[Suelle Profile Website]

I ran out of garden space last year, so dotted some French bean plants into spaces in the flower beds. They did as well there as anywhere else - better in fact, as they didn't get splashed with mud when it rained, whereas those in the veg plot got very dirty.

[Puss-in-boots Profile]

You have given me ideas now as at the moment we have potatoes from last year growing that we thought we had dug up but obviously we missed some. Ah well they seem to be coming along just nicely but will have to see what they taste like when they are ready then may plant something else when the flowers die off, shame really cos its looking very pretty. I think i will plant a cabbage or two later on.

[hungryhousewife Profile]

I think it's quite common to plant things like Calendula in the veg patch, as a companion plant to protect carrots etc - also, as I mentioned on another thread, borage and some artemesias attract blackfly, therefore allowing respite for things like broadbeans. I can't think why one couldn't take the thing to extremes and plant everything together, other than the risk of children picking things to eat from the garden - when a lot of garden plants are poisonous.

My sister's daughter ate 'woody nightshade' berries from the edge of the garden and was rushed to hospital - they look like redcurrants, which she often eats. Thankfully she was fine - but it was a horrid experience ('woody nightshade' is far more poisonous than 'deadly nightshade', and looks much more appetising too!)

HH

[ordinarygull Profile Website]

My uncle who used to have a large fruit farm, is now retired and living in a bungalow with a small garden.
He is an expert at mixing flowers and veg in a border to get maximum produce but also to look wonderfully colorful.
Things like globe artichokes, and that rainbow chard are very attractive and edible, and he has fruit canes at the back where they don't get in the way and block the light.

[shirley Profile]

I grow all sorts of things amongst the vegetables - cosmos, roses, morning glories, sweet peas, gladioloi, michaelmas daisies - piles of stuff. Don't know if it keeps the pests down, but it looks jolly pretty.

[Puss-in-boots Profile]

The potato plants are looking huuuge now, i wonder if we will get a good couple of portions from them, fingers crossed.