I'm looking for ideas and advice. My other half said we should take some of the hostas and put them along the garden fence to make it look nice. I said it wouldn't be a good idea because they will attract slugs to our garden. But, it was a good idea to have something around the fence. So, is there any plant that has the shape and behavior of a hosta but won't attract pests to the garden? Preferably a perennial. It would be nice if it were something to keep away pests, but promote good worms and bugs, of course. Or, something totally benign if necessary. Heather? Chrysanthemums?
What type of a fence are you looking for? A tall fence, an airy fence, a solid fence? Something that will stay green or herbacious, that dies back in the Fall and comes to life in the Spring? I love my bronze Fennel, but you need to keep the seed heads cut off if you choose to use it. It is a tall herbacious fence. Excellent for beneficial insects and the slugs aren't drawn to it. I haven't had any issues with mine.
Hi Carolyn, I have a fence. I just wanted some low bunches of something to line the bottom of it. We have small hostas lining the driveway that need to be thinned. The idea came up to use them, but the chance of them drawing slugs to the garden makes them not an option.
Use any herbs if you want beneficials for the garden. Alyssum is also a great low growing annual that supports beneficial insects, too. Dill comes in a compact variety, basil (but look to see how big it gets first for the variety you choose), Btw, is this on the sunny side or shady side of the fence? if it is the shady side look for impatiens, coleus, begonia etc.
Well, Now you make me think about this. Our gardens look a little shabby at the fence line. We have decided to keep a foot of mulch on the outside around the fence. Later we might add something but that will be a good start. Of course, you all know mulch is my signature.
Any of the Tagetes sorts would be attractive and help keep down pests. Another one that I am planting to border my veggie garden plots this year is Limnanthes douglasii. Both of these plants are easy and the limnanthes will just keep on going for the next year. Good luck with your undertaking.
Sjoerd, I like the Limnanthes douglasii. Thank you. I'll look for that. Are there any marigolds that are perennial to zone 5b, or are self-seeding and will come back each year? What are your thoughts about alternating between these two plants around the fence?
Hiya Beeker, I do not know of any Marigolds that are perennial. They are self seeding-but do not come back each year like you mean. The Limnanthes do. They do it quite well, but stay local and not over your whole garden. I switch off and rotate different types of Marigolds each year, using tall ones and low ones...and different colours. You asked about alternating these plants around a fence. That might look interesting. I have never done this. If you could match-up the colour scheme, that might well look quite interesting. I do not have practical experience with this, as I only ever planted all the same plants as a border to a plot. A bit boring, but it can look quite stunning. Your idea id absolutely worth a try. Personally, I feel that one should not always be limited to conforming to "what is always done"---don't be afraid to experiment! Having trouble finding the Limnanthes?-- http://www.tmseeds.com/category/s?keyword=Limnanthes If you plant this flowering plant, you will never have to order seeds again, as you can easily harvest the little, black seeds yourself each fall/winter. There are other nice border perennials like the snapdragon, the pink dwarf Malva or Gaillardia 'Goblin'. These you can also plant and rotate. Good luck Beeker...please let me know what you decide and how it goes. I am wishing you lotsa luck with this.
Sjoerd, Thank you for the link and advice. They all look so neat. Are marigold seeds easy to collect? I read that they cannot be planted near legumes because of a chemical they put off that will kill the legumes. Are they safe for the rest of the veggie garden and to be planted so close to the Limnanthes? I am also interested in the pink dwarf Malva, which draws my attention because it is also edible, or the Gaillardia, which would look good next to the Limnanthes. The only thing about the Gaillardia and the Malva is that there isn't any information about drawing beneficial bugs or keeping bad bugs or other pests away. That is a property I am drawn to.
You are welcome Beeker. They are all neat. (chuckle). I have grown them all at one time or another and Malva and Gaillardia do not have an qualities that help with keeping pests at bay, I use them for decoration and to lure pollinators to my veggie patches. Hover flies DO pick off flying pests in the area. The Malva's and Gaillardia's attract quite a few butterflies and bees to my plots. I do not know about info indicating that these two plants attract beneficial bugs, so I can only speak from my own personal experience. I am with you--The qualities of flowering plants to attract beneficial bugs or to drive away harmful bugs is important to me in the veggie garden. I have seen honey bees, solitary bees and bumblebees quite totally covered in pollen on those Malva's. It isn't enough that a flow has just a pretty face, it needs a function to be planted in the vegetable garden. ** I used the word "qualities"in my writing...but what I meant was "properties". I just could not think of that english word.
Now, I have a tough decision to make: whether or not to use the marigolds. If they give off a scent that deters bad bugs, will they also deter the good bugs? Will the Limnanthes attract them? Will they work in a complimentary way side by side (if I use the short ones)? If I don't use the marigolds, I would use the Limnanthes douglasii and the Gaillardia and hope that the beneficial bugs will keep pests away. Any thoughts?
I do not they will deter "good bugs", as I have seen butterflies and bees on then. Not all insects/worms are put off by Marigolds. I think that they will indeed work in a complimentary way if used together. If you used the limnanthes and Gaillardias... good pollinators will be attracted, but I do not believe that these two in unison would discourage pests. If you would use, say a Tagates type you mustn't think that it will keep all pests away. it will; keep some away (in my experience), but never all. You know miss, I was thinking that you could use Limnanthes and or Gaillardia around the borders of a plot and some marigolds interspersed in with your veg. I have done that before. Alternatively, if you did not use a Tagates sort, you could use Summer Savoury in amongst your beans. I have done that with some success. Plus you can harvest the savoury and cook that with your beans. Yummmmy! Do you find it less helpful when I give you more choices?
Not at all! Everything is very helpful! I didn't know there is a type of marigold that can be planted near beans, let alone cooked with them. Sounds delicious! Planting them throughout the garden sounds like a great idea. My only problem is that my plot is quite full. Will they grow in shaded areas, like under the branches of tomato plants, or squash leaves and runners? I would love to find something that would deter those awful tomato hornworms. I only found one last year, but that was enough to not like them. Thankfully, I found it before it could do any real damage.
Hey Beeker--Summer Savoury (Satureja hortensis L.) is not a Tagetes (marigold) sort. Technically it is in the same family as Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)--the plant family that have blooms that somewhat resemble lips. This Family is also related to the Verbena Family. You know miss--I can't think of anything that will deter those hornworms. We have them here, although I have only seen two in my life. They make quite attractive night pollinating moths. That said, they will demolish plants like toms, Nicotiana and others. This all has to be taken into consideration, bercause when one gardens, it is not to fee big, fat green worms is it? it is for humans. There is a sort of wasp that will lay eggs on these worms and the worms will eventually be killed by the larvae. It may take too long though and one could loose quite a bit of foliage before nature takes its course. I only grow toms in a greenhouse so I am not bothered by caterpillars. I have always wondered if one could fish with these big worms. Glad that you only found one last year, I hope that you do not find any this year at all.
It would have to be a big fish! Pity I couldn't feed it to my little guys. I have Rosemary seeds. I started a few seeds indoors. I have an idea for a herb garden. The annuals will all be in pots, but the perennials I hope to use as ornamentals outside.
