[Smudgeboy]

Hey all,

Long time no post - it's amazing how full time work and a troublesome knee will hold back all things garden related!

But in the last couple of weekends I've finally started to catch up with some late planting of various veggies.

Now, can anyone give me some advice on some flowers to go with them?

Ideally, I want to companion plant - this year in the greenhouse/garden I am growing:

Peas

Dwarf french beans

Lettuce of various types

Spuds

Rocket

Carrots

Spinach

Parsnips

Courgettes

Aubergines

Chillis

BNS

So any companion planters for those would be nice.

There are, I suppose, two other considerations - they need to be nice to look at (it's a small garden so I want some colour) and, ideally, they need to be plantable as late as end-May, as I've not ordered anything yet!

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Smudger out.

[WhippetMaster]

Get a pack of "birds,bees and butterfly mix," a nice pack of wild flowers sowed in a bed nearby.

[woodburner]

Not sure on companion flowers but nasturtiums look lovely and are edible. (Raw in salad.) Flowers and leaves. Marigolds I think you just use the petals instead of saffron. French marigolds are supposed to be good for something in the companion way, but not sure what.

[weeeed]

The other one of course is poached egg plant. They all more or less attract blackfly away from your crops, so could be the sacrificial lamb! Of course if you plant chives on the outside of your veg then you confuse the bad guys and they are edible with pretty flowers when they go to seed.

[Teabag]

apparently the aroma of marigolds keep aphids away,going to try it in my greenhouse with the toms

[gobs]

Smudge, you can plant up any flowers you like really, they all will provide colour, scent and variety - herbs also very good - and so help biodiversity on your plot.

[Jeanieblue]

We've grown lupins (seeds from New Zealand where they grow like weeds).  I know the insects and blackfly love them, not sure if they listed as official companion plants, but we just like them !!!

[franmeerkat]

I'm planting french marigold and chives next to toms, mint and sage next to brassicas, nasturtiums as sacrificial plants almost everywhere (but especially close to broad beans) and poached egg plant too. Radish is also good close to runner beans.

[matron]

Sweetpeas near beans to attract the pollinating insects. They look lovely and the scent is gorgeous.