Calhoun County, AL – Every spring, once the threat of frost has passed, the growing season begins with a focus not on vegetables, but on the flowers that help make a successful garden possible.
Before planting vegetable crops, I sow flowers specifically chosen to attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. By establishing a pollinator-friendly environment early in the season, I have found that my vegetable garden benefits throughout the growing season and produces successful harvests.
Preparation begins with the soil. Each year, I amend my garden using an organic soil recipe I developed in 1998. Gardeners interested in the recipe are welcome to request it using the email provided below.
Some of my favorite flowers return to the garden year after year, including orange tickseed, orange Torch sunflowers, Mammoth sunflowers, Scarlet Flame zinnias, cockscomb and blanket flowers. Together, they provide a variety of colors, shapes and sizes that attract pollinators while adding beauty to the garden.
Keeping those flowers blooming requires regular maintenance. Weekly pruning is an important part of my routine and helps encourage continued blooms throughout the growing season, often lasting until the first frost.
Very little from the flower garden goes to waste. When I find a stem that is no longer fresh enough for a vase, I hang it upside down in my shed to dry. Once completely dried, the stems and seeds are stored indoors in paper sacks. Those saved seeds become the foundation for the following spring’s garden, continuing the cycle from one growing season to the next.
The benefits extend beyond the vegetable garden. The colorful blooms provide beautiful filler for summer dahlias and fresh-cut arrangements throughout the home.
Planting with pollinators in mind can serve several purposes at once. It provides bees and butterflies with valuable resources, supports vegetable production, creates a source of seeds for future gardens and offers fresh flowers to enjoy throughout the season.
For me, a productive garden begins long before the first vegetable is harvested. It begins by making room for the pollinators that help the entire garden thrive.
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, a raised bed garden, and an in-ground garden. Both her surnames are from agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions, including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: bettyclark2151959@gmail.com
