Many gardeners suggest that companion planting flowers and vegetables in your garden helps boost yields, keeps crops healthy, attracts beneficial insects and repels pests.

On top of mixing perennials and annuals, it would be good to choose flowers that bloom around the same time your vegetables are flowering.  

Plant a variety of flowers to ensure you have continuous blooms.

1. Place your flowers in different sections of your vege garden instead of concentrating on one spot. You may add flowers along the boarders and/or amongst the crops.
2. During the cooler months or in winter, your vegetable crops need as much sunlight as they can get. It's best to choose low-growing flowers.
   
   Pay attention to plant height. For shorter veges like lettuces, you may plant low-growing plants like pansies or violas. Pansies and violas add colour to your salads. They can also be planted with coriander, mint and rosemary.
3. Calendula draws aphids away from your vegetables and has bright orange flowers. Another versatile and fragrant option is Lavender - a perennial in many regions, and brings in the bees.
4. Add native plants like flowering hebes to your list of must-haves. They attract native bees and provide essential habitat for native birds. Native birds particularly love the beautiful yellow flowers of a kowhai tree.  Manuka trees are well-known bee magnets.

Nectar-loving birds love Kakabeak.  Ozothamnus letpophylla also attracts birds and insects.

Adding flowers to your vegetable garden improves the overall diversity of your patch which brings in pollinators, birds and beneficial insects.

Checkout more of our companion planting tips here.

Happy gardening!