Plants that work well together
COMPANION planting and planting companions. Sounds like the same thing but I differentiate between these two gardening expressions. Companion planting is a term used to describe the use of one plant, planted to benefit the growing of another. This is usually seen in the vegetable garden where various crops are planted side by side because they grow well together or by introducing an ornamental plant into the kitchen garden to ward off pests and diseases.
That said while some of these planting combinations maybe useful I would suggest they are not definitive in their sucess rate. Trial and error is probably the best way to look at it but it can be fun trying some companion planting and gauging your results. If it saves on the use of chemicals then it has to be a good thing.
Some pairings to try. Basil and tomatoes not only go well together on a plate as basil is said to keep tomatoes heathier when under planted amongst them. The herb sage planted near cabbages may keep cabbage butterfly away or a lest discourage them. Strong smelling herbs and lavender all help keep psets away from crops. The flower marigold is one of the most well known companion plants repellent to beetles, nematodes, aphids and even cats, although I have my doubts about the validity of the latter. Carrots, dill and parsley are said to attract ladybirds that in turn will eat some of your fly pests and aphids. Nasturtiums are a prefered food plant for aphids so act as traps and attract them away from yours crops.
Garlic and onions again because they are strong smelling are good deterrent plants but peas and beans would rather be grown away from them if possible. They do like growing near sweet corn though apparently as they have different root depths and nutrient requirements. On the reverse of that cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli are all from the brassica group of vegetables. While closely related they prefer to live apart as they are looking for the same requirements from the soil conditions. These observations are not from growing experience but from reading experience and I guess there is some truth in these growing methods and they are certainly worth a try.
Planting companions are plants planted together because they look good. This for most gardeners is the base of everything they do in the ornamental garden. Creating harmony using shape, structure, texture and colour. Here is where gardening can become blurred with more conventional art if you want it to. But because you are dealing with living things, unlike a painting, sculpture, music or film that when complete won’t change, a garden planting layout will be different each year, each week as the season dictates. It constantly changes and evolves and also unlike other art forms it is transient.
A planting scheme may look good for a couple of weeks or a month then go over, past its best. All gardening books illustrate perfection but this is perfection caught in the moment, a week later and the image may well be unusable for the purpose. An example, my lovely roses of yesterday have been destroyed by the heavy rain and wind today. So be it. This is one of the things I enjoy most about gardening not chasing perfection but seeing it and appreciating it when it appears.
Planting companions are completely subjective and despite garden snobbery you are never wrong, if you love it got for it. Keep your eyes open at all times and don’t be afraid to steal ideas from what you see in other peoples gardens. Sometimes two or three plants might not be grown together in a garden but you can see that planted differently they will work better. Good garden centres will often have displays using plants in a creative way to give you some ideas. And if this year is a flop, don’t worry next year will be perfection.