Every veggie garden needs pollinator plants! These attract bees, butterflies, and beneficial bugs (pollinators) that will help your vegetable plants produce more. This is especially important for new garden spaces. If you do not have a lot of plants or greenery yet, you will need to incorporate flowers into your plans to attract the “good bugs” and get a healthy, happy gardening space established.
Here is a short list of some great starter plants for new gardens, and are always great additions to an existing garden as well. All are considered easy to grow and maintain, and are native to California, which typically means drought friendly, once they are established.
(Roughly a year or so old for shrubs, but check the recommendations for each species of course)
Blue Eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium bellum
A perennial, gets 1-2′ tall, and likes full sun. The little flowers are so sweet!
*Butterflies
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
An annual or perennial, gets up to 2′ tall, and likes full sun. Note: They can be a bit invasive! They re-seed themselves so if you don’t want poppies all over your yard keep them walled in and do some culling each spring when you see them popping up outside of the bed. They go dormant in the summer, and will come back every year on their own, pretty low maintenance and beautiful! Double win.
*Birds, butterflies, bees
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A perennial, up to 3′ tall. Does well in full sun or part shade. Pretty greenery and wide flat flowers, you can find plenty of different colors and varieties.
*Birds, butterflies, bees
Seep Monkey Flower
Erythranthe guttata
An annual or perennial, 2-5′ tall. Does well in full sun or part shade.
*Hummingbirds, birds, butterflies, bees
Vervain
Verbena lasiostachys
A perennial, 2-3′ tall. Likes full sun.
*Hummingbirds, birds, bees
Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
And of course, sunflowers! An annual, you will need to plant each year. They can get up to 10-12′ tall, and they love full sun. NOTE: Careful if you plant directly in your veggie garden. I’ve read that sunflower roots can have adverse affects on some vegetable roots and cause problems. They’re great along a fence or the perimeter of your garden, or in their own bed of course.
*Birds, butterflies, bees
There are many more options of course, and plenty of beautiful annuals that attract bees & butterflies that may not be native to CA but still grow well here.
What are your favorites?