Happy Friday, GPODers!
This is my second year starting veggies from seed and maintaining a full kitchen garden (rather than the couple of tomato and pepper plants I would buy in years prior). I can happily say that I learned a lot from last year’s successes and failures, and have implemented changes that have already increased my yield so far this year. One of those changes was incorporating way more flowers. I mentioned the power of flowers when discussing Kimberly’s incredible vegetable and flower garden in North Carolina earlier this week (check that post out here: Kimberly’s Golden Garden), and it inspired me to scroll through my camera roll to shout out the flowers that have been making my garden more productive (and beautiful) this year.
The most exciting addition to my gardens has definitely been these Tip Top Mix nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majusannual). This variety produces a delightful mix of apricot, gold, orange, and scarlet blooms that are also a delicious addition to salads. All parts of the plant are edible, but the flowers have the strongest peppery taste. I haven’t harvested many of my flowers, however—they look too good in my beds!
These stunning flowers make incredible color combinations all by themselves, and the shield-shaped leaves are also noteworthy. Some gardeners plant nasturtium for its ability to deter rabbits and deer, but I remove the risk completely with barriers around my raised beds.
Some of the flowers in my veggie beds aren’t necessarily for the bees but for the seeds they will bear. I will let some of my herbs, like this dill, flower so they will hopefully self-sow and come back up next year. As a bonus, they add even more color and interest to the garden.
Cilantro is another herb I do this with, or rather, cilantro flowers give me no choice in the matter. I have a bad habit of planting my cilantro too late into spring, and in no time, it will start trying to flower. I pinch the buds back for a few weeks, attempting to get my plants to last a little longer, until I finally give up the fight and let these pretty little white blooms flourish.
However, most of these adorable seeds don’t get dispersed into the garden. As soon as they turn brown, I trim the clusters off the plant and put them into a brown paper bag to dry out further. When all the seeds have fallen from the stems, I grind them up into coriander powder that I use all year.
Marigolds are not a new addition to my gardens this year; I enjoyed a few different varieties last year. However, I skipped starting marigolds from seed, opting to purchase them from my local nursery, and got way more plants and more varieties. So many, in fact, that I decided to plant some in my tomato and pepper containers as well. These giant African marigolds (Tagetes erectannual) have definitely been producing the most flowers so far this year.
Disco Orange French marigolds (Tages Poeticannual) have been much less floriferous, but their bright, single blooms have been far more popular with the bees.
These French marigolds with double blooms—I believe they’re the Bonanza™ Mix—are another variety that have bloomed sparingly, but their incredible colors and double crested flowers are show-stopping when they do pop up.
Lastly, another single French marigold called Disco Marietta: These may be my favorite of the varieties I planted this year. It has a simple form but really fabulous coloration.
I hope you enjoyed this little tour of my veggie garden blooms! If you’re interested, I can give you a tour of the vegetables and herbs I decided to grow this year, with a breakdown of what flourished and what completely failed. Let me know in the comments!
What plants have given your garden a boost this year? Is a new planting giving an old bed a refresh? Did you rip out that thuggish species that was running rampant in a neglected corner? The common sentiment at Garden Photo of the Day is that the garden is never truly done. While that can be overwhelming, it also means endless opportunities to reevaluate, reimagine, and revitalize. Consider sharing your great garden achievements with the blog! Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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