Flowers to Grow in Your Kitchen Garden
No kitchen garden is complete without flowers (bonus if they’re edible!).
They add color, bring in pollinators and other beneficial insects, and can even help keep pests away from your produce. Some work as trap crops, giving hungry pests something else to nibble on.
Just like herbs and vegetables, different flowers thrive at different times of the year. Here are a few of my favorites for each growing season in Decatur and Atlanta.
Cool Season Flowers
The cool season is when average high temperatures are between 35°F and 64°F. Here in the Southeast, that gives us two chances to plant: once in fall and again in early spring.
Pansies
Violas
Snapdragons
Chamomile
Calendula
Pansies, violas, chamomile, and calendula are all edible. Toss a few petals into a salad, use them to dress up a drink, or dry chamomile flowers for tea.
Marigolds bring bright, long-lasting color to the kitchen garden and pair beautifully with herbs and vegetables. They’re also one of my favorite flowers to save seeds from year after year.
Warm Season Flowers
Once average highs climb above 65°F, it’s time for flowers that can take the heat alongside your tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and other warm season plants.
Marigolds
Small annual salvias
Angelonia
Nasturtiums
Compact zinnias (plant larger varieties nearby in the landscape)
Dwarf sunflowers
Marigolds are a classic for a reason! These long-lasting, repeat bloomers provide season-long color, attract pollinators, help repel pests, and many varieties are edible.
Nasturtiums are very easy to grow from seed; pop them directly in your raised beds or containers. The leaves and flowers are edible, and the plants act as a trap crop by drawing certain pests away from your vegetables.
Angelonia blooms through our Georgia heat and makes a great cut flower.
Compact zinnias and dwarf sunflowers add plenty of color without taking up valuable real estate in your kitchen garden. Plant larger varieties nearby in your landscape.
Flowers are a simple way to bring even more beauty to a kitchen garden, especially tucked along the edges and corners of raised beds. If you’d like help choosing flowers to complement the herbs, vegetables, and fruits you’re growing, Marigold can create a seasonal planting plan designed for your garden.
