Companion Gardening
Have you heard of companion planting? When I first heard about it and started learning more it made perfect sense! Of course God would have a good way for us to be more successful in the garden. He did design the first garden after all, didn’t He? I thought I’d share what I’ve learned along the way. I hope this inspires you to do your own experimenting and digging (no pun intended) as you learn how to make your garden a success.
Amos 9:14 I will bring my people Israel back from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
Our garden this summer in it’s prime . . .
You’re not alone if you feel the calling to do all that you can, not matter the space, to provide for your family. We spent many years in an urban setting doing what we could to provide food for our family with the space and resources that we had. We didn’t grow much for many years, but the joy that it brought all of us to harvest a few things is something we will always cherish. While in that urban setting we regularly grew figs, strawberries, okra and cantaloupe. Now that we are in a rural setting with plenty of sun and space we have unlimited opportunity to grow almost all of the fruits and vegetables we can eat. That’s exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. Thankfully God has designed a great system of plants that can help all of us be successful in the garden. There are a host of flowers and herbs that will help your fruit & vegetables resist disease, deter bugs and supplement the soil.
What IS companion planting? It’s the planting of different crops planted near each other for a number of different reasons ~
Provides a habitat for beneficial insects
Maximizes use of space
Deters harmful insects
Supplements the soil
Increases crop productivity
To get started companion planting, you could look up each vegetable or fruit that you’re growing and list out each companion plant - remembering to list out which vegetables and fruits SHOULD NOT grow near each other. If you have the time this is by far the best, most effective method.
If you don’t have the capacity for that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We all have limited time to do things - you must pick and choose where you are going to spend your time.
My hope is that the guide below helps you make better use of your time!
Dual Purpose Companion Plants
Herbs are my preferred choice for companion plants because they serve double duty. I’d recommend growing most of these in pots around your garden, most of them like a lot of room and spread easily. Pots will contain them and allow you to bring them in for protection in the winter months.
My must haves. . .
BORAGE ~ A beautiful, edible herb (great in salad!) it can deter hornworms, cabbage butterflies & cornworms. Bees and other pollinators LOVE it! It’s a great companion plant for tomatoes, corn, squash, melon, cucumbers & strawberries.
CHIVES ~ Deters pests such as aphids, flies & beetles. It can also improve the flavor of many vegetables. Chives are a good companion to tomatoes, brassicas and carrots. KEEP AWAY from beans! You might consider growing chives in a pot so that it doesn’t take over your vegetable bed.
THYME ~ Might be my favorite because I use it in the kitchen so often. Thyme attracts predatory insects to your garden, repels moths, & improves the flavor of many vegetables when planted in the ground. It does especially well near brassicas and strawberries.
SPEARMINT/PEPPERMINT ~ Any mint can get VERY invasive. I’ve grown this in the ground and loved it but, it must be pruned regularly. Mint repels & attracts pests. It is a good companion for brassicas, onions, carrots & tomatoes. It’s a great addition to a floral bouquet (brings a lovely, fresh smell inside). Mint is also beautiful in flowerpots on the porch and helps deter flies/mosquitoes.
ROSEMARY ~ Helpful in deterring cabbage moths, bean beetles & many other flies. Rosemary is a good companion plant for brassicas, beans & peppers. I only grow rosemary in a planter to help control its size.
LAVENDER ~ Who doesn’t love lavender? It repels insects & attracts a large host of pollinators and beneficial insects. Lavender is a great companion for many vegetables but especially brassicas. This is also a favorite of mine in the kitchen!
BASIL ~Basil repels aphis, thrips & spider mites. Improves the flavor of several vegetables. Basil is especially great with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, brassicas & beans. In addition to eating basil, I love it added to a flower bouquet. Basil is great in the ground, no need to contain this one in a pot.
CALENDULA (trying this soon!) ~ great companion for almost anything. Repels nematodes & other pests. Attracts beneficial insects & pollinators.
DILL ~ I will ONLY grow in a pot because it takes over & isn’t very pretty to me. Great companion for cucumbers, corn, brassicas & asparagus. Also attracts beneficial insects including butterflies.
SAGE ~ Repels flea beetles, cabbage butterflies & attracts beneficial insects. If you allow it to flower, pollinators love it too. Sage is a great companion for brassicas, carrots, beans & potatoes. DO NOT plant sage near cucumbers, onions & garlic.
OREGANO ~ Another favorite because we cook with it so much. A wonderful companion to almost every vegetable. Oregano deters pests & attracts beneficial insects.
Flowering plants are great helpers too.
A lot of your choices will depend on your gardening zone. I’ve only gardened in Denver, Colorado & Texas so my experience stops there. Some of my favorites are . . .
PURPLE CONEFLOWER/ECHINACEA ~ A self-seeding perennial native to North America - and it’s one of my favorites! It’s wonderful in tea for and is known for its immune boosting properties - one of my goals this year is to dry some and use it in tea. Pollinators LOVE this beautiful flower and it’s gorgeous in a vase.
NASTURTIUM ~ a vining, flowering herb that’s very beautiful & edible. It’s a fantastic trap crop for aphids and has repellent qualities for other pests including squash bugs, potato beetles & other beetles. Nasturtium also attracts many beneficial pollinators to your garden. A great companion for squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, corn, peppers, eggplant & many others.
ZINNIAS ~ not sure there is a better cut flower to bring inside in the heat of summer. They make beautiful summer bouquets, especially with some basil mixed in. Pollinators love them even more than gardeners so they’re a win, win!
HYSSOP ~ I’m trying this one this year since I’m growing grapes for the first time. Hyssop is a wonderful companion to grapes and attracts beneficial insects and deters most pest away from grapes. Hyssop also improves the flavor of grapes - clearly, it’s a must!
MARIGOLD ~ One of the best companion plants because they help almost any vegetable. They are especially helpful near tomatoes.
Resources for learning more:
Unity Gardens, you can find a great post HERE
Heirloom Organics ~ they have a great garden map to give you an example of what you could do in your own garden
