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-Many plants benefit from companion-type arrangements in the garden. Some help each other by passing nutrients through their root systems.
-Some attract useful birds, predator or pollinator species to the herb garden. These species reduce pest and disease problems and alleviate the need for chemical controls.
-The garden provides birds with natural food, nesting materials & blooms that give nectar to Butterflies, Bees and Hummingbirds.
-Butterfly Weed provides food for the larva and nectar to the adult Monarch and Springtail Butterflies.
-Some pests find their victims by scent. Confuse them by planting aromatic herbs close by.
-Some plants act as attractants to draw pests away from insect-prone plants.
-Other plants have sticky leaves - trapping the pest.
-Some herbs can act as repellents when grown near other plants or you can make an infusion and use it as a spray.
-Goldfinch use Thyme, Rue, Yarrow and Pyrethrum for nesting materials because of their insecticidal properties.
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Companion Planting

Plants That Help Each Other

Alliums: Chives help apple trees, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber. Garlic benefits apple trees, parsnips, peach trees, roses. Don't plant near beans, cabbage or strawberries.

Basil benefits apricot trees, asparagus, grapes, tomatoes, hot peppers

Plant Dill near cabbage, celery, tomatoes.
Fennel- do NOT plant near dill, beans or tomatoes.
Cilantro/Coriander benefits cabbage, carrots.
Parsley benefits asparagus, raspberries, strawberries.

Chamomile benefits cabbage, roses.
Borage planted with strawberries will attract bees for pollination.

Sage is a wonderful companion crop for many other plants. Plant sage with rosemary, cabbage, carrots, roses.

Rosemary benefits sage, cabbage , carrots. Don't plant rosemary under peach trees or with strawberries.

Mints & Oregano benefit cabbage. Marjoram attracts pollinators, benefits cucumbers. Plant under apple trees.
Thyme benefits broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower.

Nettle improves soil content of angelica nearby.
Savories will attract bees to your garden & will enhance the growth of beans.

Plant Rue, Lavender or Geraniums with roses. Don't plant rue near cabbage.

Hyssop benefits cabbage & grapes. Don't plant near radishes.
Interplant Violets with Tarragon.

Horseradish benefits apple & apricot trees, potatoes.

Plants that Control Pests

Alliums: Chives will prevent apple scab & black spot in roses. Trap plant for aphids & controls Japanese beetles. Onions repel ants, aphids, flea beetles, mosquitoes, Garlic repels ants, aphids, flea beetles, mosquitoes, ticks, onion flies. Leeks repel carrot fly.

Artemisias: Grow Southernwood or Wormwood near cabbage to deter cabbage moth & near fruit trees to deter fruit tree moth. Boughs of Wormwood between rows of onions & carrots deter flies.

Basil will repel flying insects (flies & mosquitos, especially) if planted between your tomato plants. Protect basil from beetles by inter- planting with hot peppers. Marjoram & Oregano- repels whitefly.

Rosemary repels the carrot fly.
Sage is a wonderful companion crop for many other plants. It will repel cabbage moths & looper, carrot flies, flea beetles, a large number of harmful flying insects, especially those around vines & predators of rosemary. Thyme controls cabbage loopers, flea beetles, whiteflies.

Borage- Repels tomato worms.
Coriander & Fennel control aphids, slugs, snails, spider mites.

Feverfew and Pyrethrum contains pyrethrin, a natural insect repellent. Don't place near plants that need pollination, as bees rarely come near feverfew. A weak infusion controls whitefly & spider mites. Dried, crushed chrysanthemum flowers repel aphids, leafhoppers. Marigolds control & attract pests from desirable plants-earworms, rabbits, maggots, whiteflies, potato beetles, slugs. French Marigolds repel aphids from tomato or pepper crop. Nematocidal Marigolds deter harmful nematodes & weeds.

Mints: Catnip controls aphids, earworms, squash bugs, cucumber, Japanese, & flea beetles. Pennyroyal repels ants & fleas; generally beneficial to any herb or vegetable garden. Peppermint (& other Mentha sp.) controls ants, aphids, cabbage loopers, cabbage grubs, flies, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, squash bugs, whiteflies, mites. Spearmint is used to control bee mite. Nettle will control black fly.

Nasturtium will attract aphids, flea beetles & black fly to itself & away from desirable plants, like tomatoes. Repels potato beetles, cucumber beetles.

Nicandra & Nicotiana traps aphids, gnats, whiteflies.
Green beans & Flax- controls Colorado potato beetles.
Tomatoes/Celery- repel cabbage worm.


Plants That Attract
Pollinator Species  

agrimony, alliums, amaranthus, ambrosia, angelica, anise hyssop argemone mexicana, arnica, ashwagandha, basil, balm of Gilead, bergamot-bee balm , betony, blessed thistle, butterfly weed, calamint, calendula, catmint, catnip, dragonhead, echinacea, elcampane, evening primrose, fennel, feverfew, fleabane, forsythia, foxglove, scented geraniums, germander, goldenrod, gromwell, hops, horehound, hyssop, impatiens balsamina, Jerusalem oak, Jerusalem sage, Joe Pye weed, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, mallows, marjoram, marshmallow, mignonette, mint, motherwort, mugwort, mullein, santolina, savory, soapwort, stevia, St. Johnswort, tarragon, tea tree, thyme, valerian, veronica, vervain, viola, woodruff, wormwood, yarrow

Predatory Species
and Their Prey
Ladybugs: Eat several hundred soft bodied pests per day.
Don't mistake the different life stages for a pest!!
(1) Lady bugs lay bright yellow, oval eggs in clusters where you will find other pest eggs.
(2) Tiny black & yellow or black & red, multi-segmented larvae, resembling an alligator, feeds for 2 weeks before becoming the ladybug.
Ladybugs eat aphids, mealy bugs, thrips, leafhoppers, scale, whitefly eggs.
Black Ground Beetles-Prey on termites, soil dwelling pests, caterpillars, slugs, aphids, grubs, flea beetles, cutworms, thrips, potato beetles, earwigs, mites.
Spiders, Yellow Jackets and Mantis-will eat almost anything.
Dragonfly -predator of many small flying insects including termites, fungus gnat, mosquitos, blackfly Nematodes-most soil-based pest larva, flies, fungus gnats, Japanese beetle. Green lacewings-prey on aphids, mites, leafhoppers, thrips, mealybugs, scale, white flies. Hover flies-predator of aphids, mealy bugs, thrips, leafhoppers, scale.
Parasitic Wasps & Tachinid Flies-parasitizes aphids, many beetle species, flies, caterpillars, cutworms. Frogs and Snakes-eat hundreds of slugs, snails, worms, grubs, termites and other soil-dwelling pests. Birds- eats scale insects, most soil-based larva, grubs, most garden pests, worms, caterpillars, earwigs.

Plants that Attract
Predatory Species

Angelica, Queen Anne's Lace & Parsley- attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hover flies, parasitic mini wasps, tachinid flies

Golden Marguerite-lacewings, ladybugs, hover flies, parasitic mini wasps, tachinid flies

Alliums-hover flies, parasitic mini wasps

Carrots-lacewings, hover flies, assassin bugs, Big-eyed bugs, parasitic wasps,

Bergamot (Bee Balm)-attracts hover flies.

Coriander-lacewings, ladybugs, hover flies, parasitic mini wasps, tachinid flies.

White Clover -parasitic wasps, tachinid flies.

Candytuft-syrphid flies

Dill & Fennel- lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, syrphid flies, tachinid flies, parasitic wasps

Goldenrod-ladybugs, hover flies, assassin bugs, Big-eyed bugs, parasitic wasps

Feverfew & Thyme-hover flies

Lavender- hover flies

Yarrow-lacewings, ladybugs, hover flies, parasitic wasps

Morning Glory-ladybugs, syrphid flies

Speedwell-ladybugs, hover flies

Alfalfa-ladybugs, assassin bugs, big-eyed bugs, damsel bugs, parasitic wasps