It seems true you know, that good neighbours create a great Garden.
Experiment with companion planting as there are some very unusual combinations that exist outside the usual suspects.
We do understand that the idea of companion planting has absolutely no supporting, scientific validation and, by all accounts, plants are only concerned with their own survival and well-being. The notion has been part of the gardening culture since the 50’s but, as with many nice ideas it is upheld by a ‘belief’ system rather than a ‘provable’ system.
As with most beliefs, it can be vigorously supported even in the face of evidence to the contrary. So, Gardening Science can comfortably state that there is no evidence that some plants are beneficial or harmful to others and this is so.
Our advice is that it can’t hurt, (even the Black Walnut has been reprieved) so go ahead and make your own observations.
Here are some happy companions that we have have noticed and the list will grow as our observations increase.
| Alfalfa | Everyone except tomatoes. |
| Angelica | Nettle and Dill. |
| Anise | Coriander, Peppers, eggplant, lettuce, kale, cabbage and beans. |
| Basil | Tomato, peppers, oregano and asparagus. |
| Borage | Beans, strawberry, eggplant, cucumber, squash, tomatoes and cabbage. |
| Caraway | Strawberries, peas, radishes, beans, corn. |
| Catnip | Eggplants. |
| Chamomile | Cabbage and kale, cucumber, onion. |
| Chervil | Radish, lettuce and broccoli. |
| Chives | Carrots, tomatoes, brassica family, melons, peppers, lettuce, pumpkin and spinach . |
| Comfrey | Around established Trees. |
| Coriander | Anise, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, tomato, beans, peas, potatoes, nasturtiums, corn, catmint and roses. |
| Dill | Brassicas, broccoli, cabbage, corn, eggplant, fennel, lettuce, onions, cucumbers. |
| Fennel | Does not play well with other herbs and Vege. Keep it on it’s own. |
| Flax | Carrots and potatoes. |
| Garlic | Peas, brassicas, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery, parsley, Chinese cabbage and potatoes. |
| Hyssop | All Brassicas. |
| Lavender | Chamomile, lettuce, brassicas, onions, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, marjoram, sage, rosemary, basil, lemon balm and squash. |
| Lemon Balm | All mints, basil, oregano, chives, tomatoes, lettuce, okra, cabbage, carrots, radish, squash, berries, fruit trees, rock melon, watermelon, marjoram, sage, thyme and parsley. |
| Lemon Grass | Most herbs and vegetables. |
| Lemon Verbena | Alfalfa, lemon grass, fruit trees and other herbs. |
| Marjoram | Eggplant, carrots, cucumber, peppers, loofahs, pumpkins, radish, strawberries and tomatoes. |
| Mint | Brassica family |
| Oregano | Tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, cabbage and cucumbers. |
| Parsley | Asparagus, corn, beans, broccoli, carrots, celery, kale, lettuce, spinach, strawberries and tomatoes. |
| Peppermint | Alliums, brassicas, cabbage, peas, tomatoes – in general the same as mint. |
| Rosemary | Cabbages, beans, brassicas, carrots, thyme and sage. |
| Rue | Goji’s and lavender. |
| Sage | Brassicas, rosemary, kale, cabbage, beans, carrots, strawberry, tomato, marjoram. |
| Spearmint | Onions and Garlic’s, cabbage, peas and tomatoes. |
| Stinging nettle | Chamomile, mint,tomatoes, valerian, angelica, marjoram, sage and peppermint. |
| Tarragon | Everyone. |
| Thyme | Lavender, cabbage, onion, sage, tomato, eggplant, salad burnet, potatoes and strawberries. |
| Valerian | Mints, bee balm, chamomile, calendula and other flowers. |
| Wormwood (Artemisia) | Brassicas and carrots. |
| Yarrow | Cucumbers, lemon verbena, marjoram and oregano, corn, melons, roses, tomatoes. |