I want to grow plants around my vegetable garden that attract ladybirds, lacewing and hoverflies and any other friendly insects. I also want plants that repel aphids, spider mites and leaf hoppers.
So far I have got Sweet Alyssum, Convolvulus, Petunias & French marigolds.
Can anyone recommend any other must haves for attracting the right kind of bugs.
We let all our herbs flower, it brings in lots of insects and things that eat 'nasties', we also have borage, nasturtiums, marigolds and limnanthes( poached egg plant) and verbena bonesarius? sp. they all attract insects and bees etc :)
Nastursiums ( cant spell lately ::)) grown by beans will act as a sacrafical decoy for blackfly....they seem to prefer these to beans and brassicas.
Almost all daisy type flowers will attract beneficial insects as will cornflowers, pot marigolds, scabious, and as Manics says...herbs that are left to flower are fantastic ;D
Great I will try nastrusiums and borage as well. Should keep the flies off my beans.
Talking about herbs, somebody told me that rosemary deters carrot fly and it goes great with lamb too. Bonus! Gonna get me some rosemary.
nasturtiums! :)
Quote from: cestrian on May 01, 2012, 18:16:39
nasturtiums! :)
Aha! Correct spelling, thank you! ;D ;D