Thyme and rosemary, a great pairing in the garden and the kitchen. (Photo courtesy Healthy Lincoln County)
It’s that time: Seeds may be started on your windowsills or you are dreaming of shopping for starts at your favorite greenhouse or farmstand. Garden prep and planning are well underway (and we might even get out to play in the dirt someday soon). For some, you might have a tried-and-true method for planting and a method for where you grow your favorites. For others, like me, every season is a bit of an experiment.
While companion planting of vegetables is one way to plan your planting, herbs can often make great companions to veggies and add some fun flavor and benefits to your garden (and your kitchen!) Here are a few common herbs and what they like to grow alongside:
Basil plants like to grow with tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce. Other herbs it likes are oregano and parsley. Basil can help deter pests like aphids.
Chives like sunflowers, tomatoes, and carrots, and grow well with herb buddies dill, parsley, and tarragon. Chives can also help deter pests.
Dill is good to plant with tomatoes and brassicas (like broccoli, cabbage, kale, and more). Herb companions include chives and lemon balm. Dill is great for attracting beneficial insects (pollinators!)
Mints like to grow near tomatoes, brassicas, and peas. Its best herb friend is oregano. Mint is especially good for repelling cabbage moths. With its strong fragrance, mint can also help deter slugs from the garden.
Oregano is good with peppers, squash, and broccoli, and basil and rosemary for herbs. Oregano deters sap-sucking insects, like aphids and scale bugs.
Parsley can be a good companion to asparagus, carrots, and tomatoes. For herbs, it likes basil, chives, and rosemary. Parsley is another that can attract beneficial bugs to the garden.
Rosemary goes great near beans, carrots, and cabbage. For herbs, plant near sage, thyme, and bay. Rosemary has many benefits, including repelling pests like cabbage moths.
Sage is also good with carrots and beans, and all brassicas. It grows well with rosemary and thyme. Like rosemary, it also can deter cabbage moths.
Thyme is great to plant with cabbage and strawberries, or rosemary and sage for herbs. Thyme repels cabbage worms.
There are some herbs that can be harmful to others and should have space. For instance, keep fennel separate as it can inhibit growth of other plants. Mint, while being a great companion for many, should also be kept separate with barriers or grown in containers because it can spread aggressively and be hard to control. Dill and cilantro should not be planted near each other, as they can cross-pollinate.
These herbs can be great sprinkled near their companions throughout your garden beds or in their own pots if container gardening. Many can be happily placed in the same pot together. For example, rosemary, thyme, and oregano grow well in the same container.
Wherever you get your vegetable plants this season, be sure to grab some herbs to keep them company!
