04/18/2026
A friend posted this and it’s great information! I wouldn’t have thought of it!! 😃
Most gardeners plant flowers in one area and vegetables in another without realizing that specific flowers are the most effective pest control and pollination boosters available when planted directly next to the crops they protect. Marigolds release alpha-terthienyl from their roots which kills soil nematodes underground while their strong scent above ground repels aphids, whiteflies, and tomato hornworms from neighboring vegetable plants. Nasturtiums act as a living trap crop that attracts aphids and cabbage caterpillars to their own leaves and away from your vegetables, sacrificing themselves to save your harvest. Sunflowers attract ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies which are the most aggressive natural predators of aphids, mealybugs, and caterpillar eggs in any vegetable garden. Borage flowers attract pollinators that dramatically increase fruit set on tomatoes, peppers, squash, and cucumbers while simultaneously repelling tomato hornworms and cabbage worms from nearby plants. Zinnias attract parasitic wasps and hoverflies that lay their eggs directly inside aphids and caterpillars, killing the pests from the inside out without any spraying. Calendula flowers exude a sticky sap that traps whiteflies and aphids on contact and their roots release compounds that repel soil nematodes the same way marigolds do. Sweet alyssum planted as a low border around raised beds attracts beneficial ground beetles and hoverflies that patrol the soil surface eating slugs, aphids, and caterpillar larvae. Seven flowers that replace every pesticide in your shed.