Even Plants Need Friends

There’s lots to consider when planning a vegetable garden, any gardener who has one can tell you. But one important aspect that might not make the garden to do list is adding ‘friends’. Adding friends (or what’s sometimes called companion planting) isn’t something you do so the plants have someone to share a laugh with at 3:00 in the morning; it’s for protection. Think of these friends as tiny bodyguards, willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of your dinner. These friends are simply other plants that attract little critters away from your vegetables. Love cabbage, but hate the caterpillars that help themselves to the all you can eat cabbage buffet? Plant nasturtiums next to your cabbage, the nasturtiums draw will be too much for a caterpillar to resist, affectivity leaving the cabbage crop to its rightful owner. The same thing can be said about aphids attacking tomatoes, only instead of nasturtiums use French marigolds. With a little research you can reduce many pests from your garden without an ounce of labor or pesticide which seems to me to be the best way to garden!