How Does Your Garden Grow: Companion Planting And A Free E-book!

Companion planting is a gardeners best friend. God has amazingly created an intricate design so that certain herbs, flowers and plants work together in a garden so that you can grow without chemicals.

At first glance, companion planting looks overwhelming. There is a lot of information to be had, but hopefully I can help break it down for you. Instead of searching for every little herb that deters this and that, I try to stick with some powerhouse companions and leave the rest to those detail orientated gardeners. I am all about keeping it simple.

The powerhouse companions are ones that do a lot for a lot of plants. If an herb only deters one bug for one plant, why let it take up space in your garden? You can plant fewer companions and still get the maximum benefits.

I have narrowed down the vast array of companion plants to just a few powerhouse plants that I believe should be in every garden. They are: marigolds, nasturtium, oregano, borage and petunias.

Keep these babies in your garden, and you will be all set.

Here are the benefits of the plants I mentioned and where they should be planted:

Marigolds- If you plant no other companion, plant a lot of these throughout your garden. Plant lots of them too. They deter just about any bug that wants to get into your garden. If I planted no other companion, it would be this one.

Nasturtium- Not only are they pretty, but they are powerhouses too. They are a great natural insect repellant and love cold crops (collard, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower), fruit trees, peas and beans, and radishes. Plant these throughout your crops.

Oregano- Also loves cold crops, and protects your cucumbers from the nasty cucumber beetle and near broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower to repel the cabbage butterfly. Plant throughout your cold crops.

Borage- This is the only plant I know of that gets rid of the tomato hornworm. They are good for squash and strawberries too. They also attract bees to your garden which helps with pollination. I plant Borage near my tomatoes and peppers.

Petunias- They are pretty but also are great at repelling general garden pests. They also repel the asparagus beetle and tomato worm. They are a good companion to tomatoes, but plant everywhere. I like to plant this in the corners and end rows of my garden.

Companion planting is a science in and of itself, and it can get very involved. Don’t get too hung up on it if you are a new gardener! If you are interested in learning more about companion planting, here is a FREE E-book that will teach you all you need to know.

And how is my garden doing? I forgot to take a picture (it has been rainy this week) but things are growing well and looking beautiful! This weekend I will be weeding and mulching it, and hopefully harvesting some lettuces!

Next week I am going to share a new and exciting idea for easy composting and another free item, so be sure to stay tuned!

How does your garden grow? Please share your garden photos, tips, and tricks with us and link up your post in the Mr. Linky below. Thanks for participating! Be sure to visit others and leave lots of comments!