Perennial Flowers for the Vegetable Garden: 12 Beautiful Choices to Attract Pollinators and Deter Pests

Adding perennial flowers to your vegetable garden can provide multiple benefits beyond just visual appeal. With their ability to return year after year, perennials establish a stable framework in the garden and continue providing ecological services over time. From attracting pollinators to deterring pests, read on to discover 12 of the best perennial flowers to incorporate into your edible landscape.

Why Add Perennials to the Vegetable Garden?

Here are some of the key reasons to mix perennial flowers into your vegetable plots:

• Provide continuous color, structure and height diversity from season to season.

• Attract pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to aid pollination.

• Deter pests like deer, rabbits and insect pests.

• Improve soil health over time as roots expand and plants decay.

• Reduce maintenance compared to annuals that require replanting every year.

• Offer edible or medicinal benefits for some perennial varieties.

• Create an aesthetically pleasing environment.

12 Best Perennial Flowers for the Vegetable Garden

1. Lavender

Fragrant lavender is a stellar addition near vegetables, repelling rabbits, deer, moths, mosquitoes and more. It brings in pollinators and its blooms can be used for culinary or medicinal purposes. Grow it in full sun and well-drained soil.

1. Echinacea

Commonly called coneflowers Echinacea has bold blooms that attract butterflies and bees. It has natural medicinal uses and is deer-resistant. Plant it in full sun to part shade.

1. Yarrow

This tough, fuss-free perennial deters aphids, flies and slugs. Its flowers attract ladybugs, parasitoid wasps and lacewings. Yarrow prefers full sun and dry conditions.

1. Mint

Mint spreads nicely to cover ground and its scent repels aphids, squash bugs, flea beetles and more. It likes partial shade and moist soil. Plus, its edible leaves offer culinary versatility.

1. Chives

Chives serve double duty, repelling aphids while also producing edible leaves and flowers with a mild onion flavor. Grow chives in full sun and well-drained soil.

1. Lemon Balm

Delicious lemon balm has culinary uses and medicinal benefits. It deters insects and needs full sun to partial shade. Prune it often to prevent spread.

1. Sage

This culinary herb repels cabbage moths, carrots flies and more. Its edible leaves pair well with many dishes. Sage thrives in full sun and dry conditions.

1. Thyme

Thyme drives away cabbage loopers and whiteflies. It prefers full sun and dry soil. Its leaves add savory flavor to many recipes.

1. Marigolds

Marigolds repel nematodes, squash bugs, beetles and other pests. French marigolds even release chemicals that kill bad nematodes. They love full sun.

1. Nasturtiums

These cheery edible flowers deter squash bugs, aphids, beetles and more. They need full sun to partial shade and poorer soil to thrive. Their trailing habit looks lovely spilling from containers.

1. Asters

With their late season blooms, asters provide color well into fall. They attract many pollinators and grow well in full sun to partial shade. Deadhead spent flowers for continued blooming.

1. Daylilies

Daylilies bloom vigorously from spring through late summer. Their large, colorful flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators. They are also deer resistant and require minimal care.

Tips for Incorporating Perennials into Your Vegetable Garden

• Place taller perennials like lavender and echinacea towards the back or middle of planting beds so they don’t shade lower-growing veggies.

• Use mint, lemon balm and other spreading perennials in containers buried in the soil to restrict their growth.

• Interplant early flowering perennials like asters with late harvested crops like peppers or Brussels sprouts.

• Perennial herbs like sage, thyme and chives can be planted close to compatible vegetables to boost flavors.

• Use perennials like yarrow or nasturtiums as beautiful edging plants around the vegetable garden.

• Plant deer-resistant perennials like lavender around the garden’s perimeter to discourage deer from entering.

• Allow some perennials like asters and coneflowers to go to seed to provide winter food for birds.

• Group pots of perennials like daylilies on the patio, then transplant them right into beds in autumn.

The Takeaway

Incorporating perennial flowers into your vegetable garden adds beauty while also enhancing the garden’s ecology for better plant health and productivity. Perennial flowers establish permanent structure, attract essential pollinators, deter problem pests, and improve the soil over time without the yearly maintenance of annuals. With so many functional and aesthetic benefits, consider interplanting perennials among your fruits and veggies for a vibrant edible landscape.