| Herbs are such an asset to the garden, the | | | | tendency to cross-fertilize. |
| household and the medicine cabinet that I just don't | | | | - -Rosemary- and -sage- grow well together. |
| understand why gardens everywhere aren't bursting | | | | - -Rue-, as well as not being planted near -basil-, |
| with them. Most herbs have multiple uses. Many are | | | | should also not be planted near -sage-. |
| excellent companion plants, that are just as gorgeous | | | | - -Fennel- should not be planted near -caraway- or |
| in your vegetable patch as your flower beds. Most | | | | -coriander-. |
| herbs are very pretty, are easy to grow and | | | | - -Coriander- and -anise- seeds sown together will |
| demand little attention. | | | | germinate more quickly. |
| With companion planting it is widely held that certain | | | | - -Chillies- help plants which are affected by root rot. |
| plants do better when grown together. Some plants | | | | - -Horehound- improves the fruiting of tomatoes. |
| keep harmful insects away from another, or confuse | | | | -Yarrow- is one of the so-called "physician plants" or |
| insects with scent or shape. -Anise- deters pests | | | | all-rounder. Grown near a sick plant, it helps it to |
| from Brassicas by camouflaging their odour and also | | | | recover. -Thyme- is also a physician plant, as is |
| improves the vigour of plants grown nearby. It can | | | | -marjoram/oregano-. |
| deter aphids, fleas and reduce cabbage worms. | | | | Some herbs such as -comfrey, lemon grass- and |
| Some plants attract useful insects to help pollinate | | | | -arrowroot-, will help prevent grass and weeds. You |
| the flowers of another. -Basil- attracts bees, which | | | | can create a thick barrier with -lemon grass- which |
| will pollinate your tomatoes. In this way they make | | | | will even deter Kikuya grass. |
| good companions. I have also found that planting basil | | | | -Comfrey- makes an excellent companion plant |
| and tomatoes together gives my tomatoes delicious | | | | because it has long tap roots that keeps soil rich and |
| flavour and the basil is very pungent - this makes the | | | | moist, accumulates calcium, phosphorus, silica, |
| best pesto! | | | | nitrogen, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It also acts |
| -Borage- is fantastic grown with strawberries. I | | | | as a trap for slugs and the rotting leaves make good |
| always find the strawberries tastier and larger planted | | | | fertiliser. |
| near borage. Let borage go to seed in your | | | | -Fennel- has the reputation for being the overall |
| strawberry patch. The borage flowers are a pretty | | | | worst companion plant of all - it should be grown well |
| blue star shape, make an interesting addition to salad | | | | away from other plants. It seems to inhibit the |
| and you can steam the young leaves for something | | | | growth of many plants. However, as with most |
| different. If I have too many borage volunteers, pull | | | | herbs it has multiple benefits. There's an old saying, |
| a few and give them to the chooks. Borage | | | | "plant fennel near your kennel." It is good for keeping |
| accumulates silica and potassium, great for flowering | | | | away fleas and the dried leaves can be put in the |
| and fruiting plants such as Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, | | | | kennel itself. Medicinally it is said to help with eyesight |
| Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Pumpkin, Tansy, | | | | - particularly cataracts by making an eye bath with |
| Tomatoes, Rose, Squash and Strawberries. | | | | fennel seeds boiled in water and kept sterile. In the |
| Growing a decoy crop can protect the valuable yield | | | | kitchen it is delightfully pungent - when cooking fish, |
| of a desired crop. Try growing -garlic chives- to | | | | just put a sprig or two in your alfoil. Fennel also |
| attract aphids away from roses. French marigold kills | | | | absorbs and deodorise cooking smells in general. It |
| harmful nematodes - grow them alongside your | | | | has so many uses it is well worth the space in your |
| tomatoes. | | | | garden. Avoid growing it anywhere near beans or |
| Here are a few more gems that you can try: | | | | tomatoes. The bronze variety makes a very |
| - -Basil- should not be planted near -rue- as they | | | | attractive addition to the garden. |
| inhibit each other's growth. | | | | So don't be stingy with herbs in your garden. They |
| - -Chervil- grows well with -dill- and -coriander-. | | | | provide so many advantages and benefits that if you |
| - -Chives- and -parsley- grow better when planted | | | | don't have them intermingled throughout your garden |
| together. | | | | you are really missing out - and so are your other |
| - -Dill- and -fennel- like each other, but have a | | | | plants. |