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In nature, where plants grow without cultivation, there is always a mixture of plant types growing in an area. The selection of the plants living in an area depends on the soil type, local climactic conditions, and horticultural history.

With few exceptions, the plants that grow together in the wild are mutually beneficial in that they allow for maximum utilization of light, moisture and soil. Plants needing less light live in the shade of those which must have full light, while the roots of some plants live close to the surface and others send their roots far down into the ground. This is known as Companion Planting.

Companion planting enables gardeners to make maximum use of sun, soil and moisture to grow mixed crops in one area. Companion planting also helps reduce bugs and pests in the garden.

Some plants have a beneficial effect upon the garden because of some peculiar characteristic of their growth, scent, or root formation and soil demands. Odoriferous plants (the smelly ones), including those with aromatic oils, play an important part in determining just which insects visit the garden. But while some plants can repel insects, they can also hinder the growth rate of other plants or otherwise adversely affect them.

You can plant a Vegetable Garden in very small places ... right up to very large ones. These pictures are examples of Companion planting along a sideway, up to a large backyard. You are only limited to your imagination when choosing your veggie garden spot.

This is a "Country Style" Veggie Garden with Companion plants.

Isn't this just beautiful. It is well planned out, with easy access to all the veggies and flowers. The garden seat covered over with a vine is a great place to sit and enjoy your work. Using grass as pathways has created a very homely veggie garden. As I wrote earlier, your veggie garden is only limited to your imagination (and the space you have available)

Below are combinations of Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers and Weeds that are mutually beneficial.

Plant Companion's and Effects

Plant Type	Companion / Compatible
Asparagus	Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil, Lettuce
Basil	Tomatoes (improves growth & flavour); repels flies & mosquitoes
*Bean*	Potatoes, Carrots, Cucumbers, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Summer Savory, most other veggies & herbs
Bean (bush)	Sunflowers (Beans like partial shade, Sunflowers attract birds & bees for pollination), Cucumbers (combination of heavy and light feeders), Potatoes, Corn, Celery, Summer Savory
*Beet*	Onions, Kohlrabi
*Borage*	Tomatoes (attracts Bees, deters Tomatoe worm, improves growth & flavour), Squash, Strawberries
*Cabbage Family* (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi)	Potatoes, Celery, Dill, Chamomile, Sage, Thyme, Mint, Pennyroyal, Chamomile, Spinach, Chard, Beets, Rosemary, Lavender, Potatoes, Onions; (Aromatic plants deter cabbage worms).
*Caraway*	Loosens soil; plant here and there around garden
*Carrot*	Peas, Lettuce, Chives, Onions, Leeks, Rosemary, Sage, Tomatoes
*Cauliflower*	Sage, Thyme, Mint
*Celeriac*	Leeks, Tomatoe, Beans, Cabbage

*Celery*	Leeks, Tomatoes, Bush Beans, Cauliflower, Cabbage
*Chamomile*	Cabbage, Onions
*Chervil*	Radishes (improves growth & flavour).
*Chives*	Carrots; (Plant Chives around base of fruit trees to discourage insects from climbing trunk.
Corn	Potatoes, Peas, Beans, Cucumbers, Pumpkin, Squash
Cucumber	Beans, Corn, Peas, Radishes, Sunflower
Dead Nettle (Lamium) TIP: Purple flowering Lamium likes colder weather & the Yellow flowering variety can handle hotter weather (They need watering well)	Potatoes (deters Potatoe bugs)
*Dill*	Cabbage (improves growth & health), Carrots
*Eggplant*	Beans, Marigold, Lettuce
Fennel	Most plants are supposed to dislike it Fennel.
*Garlic*	Roses, Cabbage, Raspberries, Tomatoes, Eggplant.. (deters Japanese beetle); Plant with herbs to enhance their production of essential oils; Plant liberally through garden to deter pests.
*Horseradish*	Potatoes (deters Potatoe beetle); Plant around Plum trees to discourage curculios (Curculio is a genus of Weevils)
*Hyssop*	Cabbage (deters cabbage moths), Grapes; *Keep away from radishes.
*Kohlrabi*	Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower
*Leek*	Onions, Celery, Carrots
*Lemon Balm*	Here and there in the garden
Marigold Pot Marigold	The workhorse of pest deterrents; keeps soil free of nematodes; discourages many insects; plant freely throughout the garden. Helps Tomatoes, but also plant throughout garden as deterent to Asparagus beetle, Tomatoe worm & many other garden pests.
*Marjoram*	Here and there around the garden.
*Mint*	Cabbage family; Tomatoes; deters Cabbage moth.
*Nasturtium*	Tomatoes, Radish, Cabbage, Cucumbers; plant under fruit trees; deters Aphids & pests of Curcurbits.
*Onion*	Beets, Strawberries, Summer Savory, Tomatoes, Lettuce (protects against slugs), Beans (protects against ants)
*Okra*	Marigolds, Eggplant, Peppers
*Parsley*	Tomatoes, Asparagus
*Parsnip*	Peas, Beans
*Peas*	Squash (when squash follows peas up trellis), plus grows well with almost any vegetable; *Peas also* *add nitrogen to the soil.*
*Peppers*	Tomato, Basil, Parsley, Petunias, Carrots, Onions, Okra, Marigolds, Catnip, Tansy, Nasturtium
*Petunia*	Protects Beans; beneficial throughout garden.
*Potatoe*	Beans, Corn, Cabbage Family, Marigolds, Horseradish, Lettuce, Radishes, Scallions, Limas, Eggplant (as a trap crop for Potatoe Beetle).
*Pumpkin*	Corn, Marigold, Beans, Sunflowers
*Radish*	Peas, Nasturtium, Lettuce, Cucumbers; a general aid in repelling insects.
*Rosemary*	Carrots, Beans, Cabbage, Sage; deters Cabbage moth, Bean beetles & Carrot fly.
*Rue*	Roses and Raspberries; deters Japanese beetle; ** Keep away from Basil.
*Sage*	Rosemary, Carrots, Cabbage, Peas, Beans; deters some insects.
*Soybean*	** Grows with anything; Helps everything.
*Spinach*	Strawberries, Celery, Eggplants, Cabbage, Peas, Onions, Brussel Sprouts, Peppers
*Squash*	Radishes, Cucumbers, Corn, Nasturtium, Mint, Aromatic Herbs
*Strawberry*	Bush Beans, Spinach, Borage, Lettuce (as a border).
*Summer Savory*	Beans, Onions; deters Bean beetles.
*Sunflower*	Cucumbers
*Tansy*	Plant under fruit trees; deters pests of Roses & Raspberries; deters flying insects, also Rapanese beetles, striped Cucumber beetles, Squash bugs; Deters ants.
*Tarragon*	Good throughout garden.
*Thyme*	Here & there in garden; deters Cabbage worm.
*Tomatoes*	Chives, Parsley, Marigold, Limas, Carrots, Onions, Nasturtium, Asparagus, Cucumber, Aromatic Herbs (Parsley, Dill, Lovage, etc.), Spinach, Basil
*Turnip*	Peas, Brussels Sprouts
*Valerian*	Good anywhere in the garden.As a border, keeps animals from the garden.

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