Companion planting is taking advantage of the strengths of flowers by planting them near certain vegetables or fruits. Some flowers have benefits for your garden that go beyond a pretty face. And yes, most of these flowers are quite amazing with their benefits and most do smell quite pleasant. It’s only the pests that tend to dislike the smell that the flowers give off. 

Those benefits include:

• Aiding in pollination
• Provide habitat for beneficial insects
• Pest control
• Increasing productivity of crops

So, here are our top 4 picks that you can add to the garden to not only add some aesthetics, but to serve a purpose as well. Most of these flowers are fairly easy to grow and they can be planted right next to or near the vegetable or fruit. 

Borage

We suggest planting borage near your tomatoes to deter tomato hornworms. Also, to prevent those pesky little fellows, borage is also a great addition to make your garden beautiful with its delicate star-shaped light blue and pink flowers. 

Chrysanthemums

These plants contain a natural insecticide called pyrethrum, which means they keep away silverfish, ants, cockroaches, bedbugs, fleas, lice, and even ticks. Not only do they smell amazing, but they are a strong pest repellent. Chrysanthemums love the full sun and they are fairly easy to grow. They do need to be watered somewhat often, but leave them be in the sun and they will blossom quite quickly. 

Marigold

These beautiful flowers are much more than just an aesthetics for your garden. Marigolds contain a phytotoxin called alpha-terthienyl which prevents nematodes (roundworms) from eating the roots of your precious tomato plants. 

These plants will do wonders near vegetables such as cabbages, broccoli, sprouts, and much more. They will deter away the bugs that will want to munch on your vegetables. Also, they flourish in the bright sun. So, they are perfect for placing them near your outdoor vegetable garden. 

Petunias

The last one we want to mention is the Petunias. These flowers are gorgeous and come in every color of the rainbow. They also protect beans from most pests and work to prevent squash bugs, potato bugs, and are a good general pest deterrent that keeps most bug baddies at bay.