What’s Blooming Now — and Why I Let It
Flowers I planted, flowers that surprised me, and the quiet work they’re doing in the summer garden
Some flowers I sowed on purpose. Others just turned up.
But this summer, they’re all earning their place.
From calendula and dill to self-seeded celeriac and an escaped burdock, my veg garden is buzzing, crawling, flowering, and feeding more than just us.
Earlier in the year I let some overwintered brassicas flower. They’d been hammered by cabbage whites and weren’t worth picking. But I’d been reading about cover crops and how leaving living roots in the soil can support soil structure, insect life, and overall garden balance.
So I let them bloom.
Even in cold snaps, bees came to the yellow flowers. Hoverflies didn’t arrive until later, but those early blooms helped bridge the hungry gap for insects. And then, as if to thank me, the brassicas sent out new shoots: tender, broccoli-like florets that made a surprise spring meal.
That shift in thinking changed how I gardened this year.
What I Let Grow (And Why)
Calendula – Self-seeded everywhere. Feeds pollinators for months. Edible petals. I will dead head some to keep flowers coming but also leave some to seed and for me to collect.
Nasturtiums – Volunteer near the path, now sprawling. Hoverfly favourite. Trap crop for aphids.
Sunflowers – Some sown, some sprouted from dried heads left in the tunnel last year. Not all are flowering yet, but they’re thriving.
Volunteer tomatoes – Turned up in odd spots, already flowering.
Celeriac – Growing as a weed and now flowering. A brilliant umbellifer, covered in hoverflies.
Dill – Intentionally planted, now flowering and drawing in all sorts of tiny predatory wasps.
Yarrow – A mix of sown and spread. Supports parasitic wasps and looks good doing it.
Silver tansy – Aromatic, feathery, and loaded with promise for later summer pollinators.
Leeks – Left to flower. The bees and wasps are obsessed.
Escaped burdock – Rooted from a pot into the tunnel floor. I found a toad sheltering beneath its giant leaves.
Tagetes (Marigolds) – Intentionally planted. Help repel pests and feed hoverflies.
Sweet Alyssum – Planted for ground cover and hoverfly habitat. Low-growing and long-flowering.
Comfrey – Known as a natural nutrient-cycler, comfrey mines minerals from deep in the soil and stores them in its big, soft leaves. Great as a mulch, compost booster, or liquid feed.
Loved by bumblebees. Always worth the space.
More Than Just Pretty: What These Plants Are Doing
They’re not just adding colour or chaos. Here’s what these flowers and volunteers are actually contributing:
1. Feeding Pollinators
Early-season brassica blooms, flowering herbs, calendula, and (soon) sunflowers keep bees and butterflies well fed across the seasons.
2. Attracting Predators
Umbellifers like dill and flowering celeriac support hoverflies, parasitic wasps, lacewings, and ladybirds — all allies against aphids, caterpillars, and more.
3. Providing Shelter & Habitat
Large-leaved plants like nasturtium and burdock offer shade and damp microclimates for creatures like toads, beetles, and spiders.
4. Shading and Covering Soil
Living plants protect the surface from sun and erosion, keeping the moisture in and weeds down.
5. Feeding the Soil
Living roots keep microbial life fed, even in between crop successions. Flowers = living mulch.
6. Producing Bonus Crops
Some plants gave unexpected second harvests — like sprouting florets from bolted brassicas. Nasturtium leaves and calendula petals are also edible.
7. Helping Me Read the Garden
Flowers can signal when the garden is shifting. Bolting might hint at dry soil or low fertility. A sudden burst of pollinators? Time to sow again.
8. Beauty & Sanity
A messy corner with colour and movement brings joy. Sometimes it keeps me out there longer, and that alone makes it worth it.
Final Thought: Bridging the Gap
This summer, my garden feels more alive not because I planned every square inch, but because I left space for some surprises.
These flowers — sown or not — have helped bridge the hungry gap. For the pollinators. For the predators. For the soil. And, sometimes, for me.
They weren’t all part of the plan. But they’ve more than earned their place.
Great article 👌🏼 I’ve found similar this year, particularly thanks to the heat and prolonged dry spell - so much bolted, but it was wonderful to see all the pollinators coming and going, as you say. Fantastic point about the different plants signalling changes unfolding in the garden, I’d never thought of that before.