Companion planting is a great way to give your vegetable garden a completely organic boost. Simply by positioning certain plants together, you can deter pests and create a good balance of nutrients. Companion planting with flowers is another great method, though often the reasons are more aesthetic. Read on to learn more about using flowers for companion plants in garden beds and which flowers grow well together.
Companion Planting with Flowers
Flowers tend to have specific blooming times – planting something that blossoms in the spring next to something that blossoms in high summer will ensure bright color in that spot the whole time.
Also, the foliage and flowers of the later blooming plants will help disguise the fading foliage of perennials that have already passed. That being said, some flowers just look good together with their complementary colors and heights.
When companion planting with flowers, there are a few more things to keep in mind. What are your flowers’ growing conditions? Make sure to pair flowers that require the same amount of moisture and sunlight. Don’t accidentally pair a short, sun-loving plant with a taller one that will cast a shadow over it.
When pairing flowers that will bloom at the same time, consider their colors and shapes. A wash of the same color is nice, but the individual flowers might get lost. Try combining complementary colors, like yellow and purple, to make the colors pop.
Flowers That Look Good Together
So which flowers grow well together? Use the following flowers for companion plants in garden beds as a guide to get you started:
The Black eyed Susan pairs well in the garden with:
Daylilies look great in a Flowerbed with:
Bee balm gets along with nearly any plant but particularly enjoys the company of globe thistle, columbine, and silver sage.
Tulip flowers like fellow spring-blooming bulbs such as daffodilsand grape hyacinth but also enjoy the company of perennials like astersand Hosta.
Daffodils, like tulips, also prefer the company of other flower bulbs in addition to asters, Hostaand iris.
Shasta daisy is a perennial plant that gets along well with a number of other flowers including Algerian iris, germander sage, rudbeckia,and coneflowers.
This list, by no means, is all inclusive. As long as you keep growing conditions, heights, bloom times, and colors under consideration, just about any flowering plant can make an excellent neighbor to another one. As the saying goes, “A flower does not think of competing to the other flower next to it. It just blooms.”
