10 Plants to Grow with Zinnias for a Gorgeous Pollinator Friendly Garden

acquire zinnias near these companion plants for more pollinators and bragging harvest .

Bob Stefko

Most growers plant old maid flower in ornamental gardens or pots and harvest the blooms for cut flowers and posy . However , zinnias are multi - purpose plantsthat can also be associate - planted with vegetable and herbaceous plant to increase harvest yields , distract pests from more vulnerable crops , and entice pollinator and beneficial insects to visit garden bed . As a bonus , zinnias grow well if you institute them near the right zinnia companion plants .

Zinnias and other colorful flowers in the garden

Credit:Bob Stefko

Tomatoes

Zinnias andtomatoesboth love pile of sun and plentiful grime , but that ’s not the only rationality to grow these plants together . Zinnia flower can encourage more bees to shoot the breeze love apple , which increases pollenation charge per unit and harvest payoff . Zinnias also readily attract hoverflies and bloodsucking waspsthat feed on aphids and othertomato pests .

Melons

Carson Downing

Honeydew , cantaloupe , watermelon , and most other melon works must be pollinated by worm to ensure they fruit well and produce a large harvest time of tasty melon . When there are n’t enough pollinator around , gardener often have to painstakingly bridge player - pollinate melon vine heyday . you’re able to avoid this spare work and ensure your melon plant life are pollinated bysteering clear of pesticidesand growing bee - friendly zinnias near your melon vine dapple .

Herbs

Robert Cardillo

Zinnias get along with most herbs , but they spring up particularly well beside tender - stemmed herbs , likedill , basil , andparsley . These plants all love moist dirt and full sunlight , and they ’re small enough to grow in garden beds or roomy pots beside flower zinnias . beneficial of all , fragrant herbskeep destructive insect away from old maid flower flower , and zinnias return the party favour by attract predatory insect that flow on herb pests .

Calendula

Andy Lyons

marigold are often companion plantedwith zinnias and vegetables to increase pollinator activity in veggie gardens , butcalendula plantsalso grow well with zinnias , and they can be used like marigolds to attract beneficial insects and make gardens more resistant to pestilence . On top of that , gay orange - yellow flowers complement the brilliant pink and purples of zinnia bloom attractively , and these two plants are often used together in redolence orcottage garden designs .

Cucumbers

Like melons , mostcucumbersneed to be pollinated by insects to yield a turgid harvest of cukes . The good news is that growing cucumbers near zinnias can of course lure butterflies , bee , and other good microbe into your garden and boost pollination rate and cuke harvests . To forbid old maid from getting inundate by trailing cucumber vines , treillage vining cucumberson sturdy oxen panel trellises or grow Dubyuh - character cucumber mixed bag , like ‘ Bush Champion ’ .

Dahlias

Zinnias anddahliashave a alike smell and feel in the garden , and many growers trade out fussier dahlias for lower - upkeep zinnias to make flower bed easier to care for . However , these two blooming beauties grow surprisingly well together in bloom beds , and interplanting dahlias with zinnias can add more color to your garden and extend your flowering season . retrieve that mostzinnias are yearly , whiledahlias can produce perenniallyif you know in a warm area or winter your dahlia tubers indoors .

Legumes

Beans , pea , and other legumes get along with most other garden plants , and zinnia are no exclusion . Not only do legumes and old maid flower have like care needs , but legumes can also help zinnias grow well by naturally enriching the dirt with their nitrogen - fasten roots . As with cucumbers , it ’s upright to opt bush - type legumes , like ‘ Jade Bush ’ dome , ortrain beans and pea on sturdy trellisingto keep vining leguminous plant plant from crowd out old maid .

Squash and Zucchini

Kindra Clineff

Like cucumbers and melons , squashandzucchiniplants postulate pollinator to fruit , and they ’re much more fecund with bee - well-disposed zinnias around . Plus , pairing zinnia with squash and courgette can attract beneficial insect , like epenthetic wasp , ladybugs , and lacewings , to garden . These voracious predators happily tackle a wide range of cucurbit pestis , including aphids andsquash vine borers — all without pesticides .

Cosmos

Companion planting zinnias witheasy - locomote cosmosjust makes sense . These two flora have similar growing needs : they ’re both annuals , they stock readily from seeds , and the antic colors of zinnia and cosmos flowers complement each other ’s count in the garden and bouquets . For best consequence , prime zinnia and cosmos variety show that are similarly sized , or locate lower - growing varieties toward the front or south side of your garden to ensure shorter plants are n’t overshadowed by their taller neighbors .

Peppers

Whether you ’re interested in growingmild bell peppersorfiery hot chilis , pairing Piper nigrum plant life with zinnia can help you grow bigger and proficient pepper harvests . Even though most peppercorn are self - pollinating , studies have found that Piper nigrum plants make more yield if they ’re pollinated by insects , which can be tempt in by old maid bloom . Like zinnias , peppers are alsosmall space favorable .

Companion Planting . Washington State University .

Attracting Beneficial Insects . Clemson Cooperative Extension .

Tomato ‘Moskvich’