“DIG IN” WITH THE TEXAS CITY GARDEN CLUB”

By: Bridget Buffa You can use flowers as part of an organic pest control by incorporating Companion Planting into your garden. Sunflowers planted into a bean bed to attract birds and beneficial insects. Companion Planting involves tackling pest problems before they get out of control. There are a variety of plants and flowers that provide a habitat for natural enemies and other beneficial insects. You can plant sweet alyssum in your beds of broccoli and cabbage to attract insects that will eat aphids. Marigolds can be planted with your tomatoes to prevent worms. Plant flowers within your garden to attract pollinators and pest predators. Sunflowers, dill, borage, cosmos, and zinnias are a good choice to use and adds beauty to your landscape. I love my vegetable garden and I’m pretty serious about it. I usually just plant what my family likes to eat…No Eggplant for me. But I’m not so serious that I don’t give enjoyment high priority. And for me, part of that enjoyment is having the garden a beautiful place to spend time. What better way to make the garden beautiful than to have it contain a variety of flowers? While I do find healthy vegetable plants and their produce beautiful. But even bright red tomatoes can’t entice me in like a row of multi-color zinnias at the garden’s entrance. I love having flowers in the vegetable garden! I do understand that some people would not approve of planting flowers in a space designated for food crops. But for those of you who are yearning to incorporate more beauty in your gardens, planting flowers is a wonderful way to achieve it. First of all, we want to have beneficial bugs attracted to our gardens. These include bugs, pollinators and birds. There’s no better way to welcome them than having plenty of pollen and nectar available. These creatures help our gardens in multiple ways. The first thing that comes to mind is that we need the bees, small flies and butterflies to pollinate our crops. We might as well beckon them in with the bright color of flowers. Flowers don’t need to cost much at all. Purple cone flowers (Echinacea) and Egyptian Starcluster are a few that are in my garden. Starclusters in front of Vining Garden Peas I find that adding flowers to the garden does add a bit of lovely chaos. Flowers are also an asset in giving more variety to our gardens. My conclusion is that if a garden has a little extra space, it’s better to fill that space with flowers than to weed bare ground. Perhaps I don’t need to rationalize planting flowers at all. The garden is beautiful. I enjoy spending time with all the creatures that are drawn to the flowers. Having beauty in our lives seems like a worthy goal in itself. What’s in your garden? Don’t’ forget to mark your calendars for The Holiday Gift Shop. We have changed the date from the 1st Saturday in December to Saturday, November 23, 2019. A little earlier to get a start on your holiday shopping. If you would like to participate, give us a call @ (409)771-5697. As always, I welcome your comments or suggestions for future columns. Contact me @ bbuffa1@ gmail.com