Flowers

Why should vegetable gardens be unattractive and boring? There's simply no excuse for it when there are so many beautiful flowers and herbs available.

For those of us who tend to feel guilty if we plant anything impractical in the vegetable garden, here are two reasons why we should plant flowers .

Beneficial insects are unbeatable for controlling bad bugs.
A few years of reading Organic Gardening magazine convinced me to avoid pesticides and
seek out safer alternatives. Not only are beneficial insects good for your garden, but they're also nice to have around when teaching children about nature.

If you have small children, consider planting only edible flowers in the vegetable garden, so they don't get confused about what's safe to eat.

Other flowers can be planted in a border outside the vegetable garden. Be cautious and well-informed before eating any plant or flower.

Some people have allergic reactions to certain flowers.

It's usually best to stick with annual flowers inside the vegetable garden, since you'll be rotating your
crops every year.

It's nice to have a special section for perennial flowers, maybe as part of the herb garden. Some herbs are perennials or biennials,

so they need a permanent spot where they won't be disturbed by digging .