I have never used any borders around the vegetable garden. My vegetable garden is about an acre to an acre and a half in size. I did enjoy the rows of pink petunias that edges my MIL's garden all the years she had a garden. So, last year along one side I planted pink petunias. I really liked the look of it. So, next summer I will be planting them again and hopefully do 2 sides this year. I have a lot of cannas and hope to plant them immediately behind the petunias. In one corner I planted mixed petunias with a row of white datura behind them. The pale yellow petunias really showed up in the evening.

Brenda

I plant marigolds and nasturtiums, and last year I planted glads because I had run out of room for them elsewhere. I also have nigella that self-seeds throughout. I guess it depends how much room you have in the garden. Marigolds are supposed to have insect-repelling properties... I don't know if it actually makes a difference but they look nice.

I plant marigolds at the ends of each row and sometimes in the middle as a marker for half a row of something and half of something else. I've put winter-sown perennials in spots too as a kind of nursery for them. I'd like to put flowers around the edge but dh would probably till them up!

On one end of my veggie garden I have a rose bed. On another side I usually plant Malva or Lavatera seeds. I prefer the Lavatera because it doesn't seem to self seed as bad.

I've put a variety of different flowers bordering my veggies over the past few years. I really like the added colour and it gives me someplace to put my "extras" sometimes.

At one end of the bed is oriental lilies, gypsophila, and buddleia davidii. Along the fence, the full length of the garden, I plant a packet of 2000 seeds of evening scented stocks. A) they keep the weeds down back there and B) I love the colour and fragrance. In the front, I have a row of marigolds in the middle third. They have self-seeded there for three years now. I usually try something like portulaca, linanthes, or mesembryanthemum Livingstone Daisy. Linanthes was a first time last year and it enjoyed limited success. Not sure what I'm going to do this year yet. But, I did find that I had to be a bit more careful and selective. In many cases the veggies overran the annuals and they just look messy. The tried and true, for me I guess, is the marigolds and the evening scented stocks.

Personally, I will always put something there, I think. I know I would miss the colour now, if I didn't.

Shauna

At the north end of my main veggie garden, next to the driveway, I plant a row of sunflowers with a row of poppies in front of them. Both are saved seeds. Last year I added a jug of wildflower seeds in front of that, in my gravel mess, and bordered with marigolds (saved seed). Looked pretty good.
Connie

I think it was 3 years ago, that DH built a spruce rail fence around my veggie garden. I've got mainly perennials planted along it on one side, and spruce trees are on the other side.

You've all given me lots to think about. Thanks for the picture - what a great space you have! Hmm - maybe, when I settle on a definite garden size, an arbor would be nice.