Why do you grow flowers?

[Two_Sheds]

I suffer from hayfever, but the pollen I'm allergic to is tree & grass pollen, not flower pollen - cut flowers don't affect me at all.

I grow a wide range of flowers on the lotty for the bees & other beneficial insects: viola, limnanthes, nemophila, cornflower, sunflower, phacelia. They all self-seed and I just weed them out if I need the space for a crop

[susieq100]

I'd like more than one option too! I've voted for attracting insects and pollinators, but I love the colours and the scents - sweet peas are the smell of summer for me, hugely evocative of a happy childhood and they are a wonderful air freshener in the house; keep cutting and they keep coming! I love sunflowers, cornflowers, nasturtiums at the plot, sweet peas in amongst the climbing beans.

[fruitylou]

Primarily I grow for cut flowers but also for edible seeds (poppy and sunflower). I would like to grow wild flowers and herbs for wildlife this year, fingers crossed.

[super trowel]

i could have chosen two on this list, so i have selected the right flowers to deter insects. but i would have also chosen to encourage insects.
i know contradiction but hay

[Florence Fennel]

I edge beds with marigolds because they look pretty, deter pests and attract insects. I grow sacrifical nasturtiums (the slugs can have them) and I grow lupins, gladioli and delphiniums because I love them. I am also blessed with a lot of foxgloves, even though I have never sown any. I too found the vote difficult, because although I would nobly like to vote the pollinator attractor option, I can only say they make the garden even more of a pleasure.

[SarzWix]

2, 3, 4, and 5 for me too.

I grow cornflowers, sunflowers, marigolds, sweet peas, cosmos, morning glory, and dahlias from seed, and have tulips, daffodils and crocus bulbs. I try something new every year. I think that flowers are really important on the plot in a number of ways - they attract pollinators and also help to deal with pests either by diverting them from the crops or by attracting predators like wasps, hover-flies, ladybirds and lace-wings. They are also really important from a well-being point of view - who doesn't feel better after seeing and smelling beautiful flowers? Whether you cut them and take them home, or just enjoy them in situ. I'll never understand people who view flowers as a waste of space...

[chris]

2,3,4 and 5 for me too

I used to be under the "If it's not edible I've no interest in it" side of things, but as of late my mindset has changed somewhat.

[Fruit&2veg]

2 ,3, 4 Dont have much room to spare on the plot, but just like a few dotted around. sovoted for 2

[shona_b]

As we only have a half plot space is limited but a row of french and african marigolds along the path look lovely and supposedly do some good at deetering unwanted pests. Other than that I always plant some sweet peas with the runners and french beans purely for the splash of colour they add before the beautiful flowers of the beans themselves come out.

[Helgalush]

I grow flowers to attract beneficial wildlife such as bees and ladybirds, and other insects. I try to grow a variety for this purpose. I also grow them as companion plants to act as a decoy to protect certain crops, such as climbing nasturtiums in with my climbing french beans (attracts black fly to the flowers rather than the crops), and marigolds in with my tomatoes to help with whitefly.

I also try to grow flowers that are edible, and which are safe for my pets, and which also look pretty. I removed any dangerous plants from my garden and replaced them with ones that are safe for my animals, and many of these flowers are attractive to insects. I like to think that it makes my garden a place that is enjoyable for several species!

[Sqft'ers]

A few years ago dug an oval patch in the lawn to grow flowers to attract beneficial insects and one or two thistles for Goldfinches. Also nasturtiums to eat but the bird table’s also in this plot, and because birds are mucky little creatures these are left. Camellias are in full bloom, the nasturtiums are still quite healthy as not had much frost, yet!!

[JamesM]

It's a pity we can't choose more than one answer. I've gone for "attract wildlife and pollinators", but I also grow them because they are beautiful and I cut some for the house.

I thought that too. I've got a lot of wild flowers for this year as they add amazing colour and smells, and give a nice mix as last year the garden just looked a bit 'functional' with tubs of veg everywhere. Would love to have a few more butterflies this year too as there were hardly any last year and anything we can do to encourage them is a plus

[kfan]

Since my 'plot' is my garden the main reason is because they look good, but 3, 4 & 5 are additional reasons as well and did affect which flowers I choose. And I try to choose edible flowers as well.

I use natural drifts of the same annual flowers throughout the beds that can be cut when I want to plant vegetables there or vice versa and also have lots of interesting perennials, flowering herbs and some trees. Now I just have to conquer the weeds this year

[gardenpassion]

Am planning lots of colour on my allotment this season. Flowers are great for encouraging the pollinators and look so great. It also encourages the children to be even more involved. (Try 'who can grow the tallest sunflower competition'). This year the entrance to our allotment will have a garden arch covered in sweet peas, (hopefully) and small pockets of colour all over, besides the regular orange flowers (nasturtiums and marigolds) which prove so helpful with keeping bugs at bay.

[dave_norm_smith]

I started out with flowers and shrubs as I had two very distinct gardens. So even though I concentrate on the vegetables and fruit now, flowers will always remain close to my heart. There is a certain point in the year when the garden is just white and blue flowers against a backdrop of greens and it gives me a lift everytime. ( The bees also enjoy it as well which has got to be a bonus)