Cool Combos: Achillea and Asiatic Lily

Sometimes I plan really well and gardens come together perfectly, sometimes I don't, --- and sometimes I get lucky! Luck is the case with the combination of Achillea and Asiatic Lily that I'm about to show you. Maybe I was thinking that because both plants started with the letter 'A' that they would go well together...I don't think so. It was more likely I was going through the discount plant shove in any open spot strategy (DPSIAOSS for short). Whatever the case this happy combination of pink achillea and red Asiatic lilies seem to make an attractive and somewhat bold companion planting!

Asiatic Lilies and Achillea

The soft pink and deep red work well together. 

Asiatic Lilies and Achillea

The glossy foliage of the lilies is a contrast to the feathery foliage of the achillea.

Asiatic Lilies and Achillea

These are the first Asiatic lilies to bloom in our yard this year. I'm hoping to hybridize a few of them when the other Asiatics bloom to see what the resulting lilies might look like. I've propagated the Asiatic lilies from the leaves before but I've never tried hybridizing them. 

Asiatic Lilies and Achillea

What unexpected combinations of perennials has your garden displayed?

Starting Nasturtiums for the Grow Project

Recently I started a few nasturtium seeds as a part of the Grow Project hosted by Mr. Brownthumb. Renee's Seeds offered to send seeds for several volunteer garden bloggers to try. Each month throughout the season I'll update you on the progress of the nasturtium seeds as they grow.

Seed Starting Mix on left, Potting Mix on the right

Today's update is filled with mixed results. When I started the seeds I decided to experiment with seed starting medium. I planted six seeds three of which were in a commercial seed starting mix (peat, vermiculite etc.) and the other three were in a commercial potting mix. Both sets of seeds were put in peat pots for easy planting later in the garden. I hope to plant a few directly in the vegetable garden as a companion planting option once the frosts have past.

Nasturtium Seedling

Nasturtium sprout

The results find definite favor with the seed starting mix. All three of the nasturtiums have germinated in the seed starting mix while none have emerged from the potting mix. Both sets of pots received the same water and the same treatment in the same location. For watering I put each of the pots in a foil carryout container and bottom watered after putting just a little water directly into the pots. I've kept them in the same location as my tomato plantings and under lights. Nasturtiums don't need light to germinate and in fact need planted about an 1/2 an inch to an inch deep. As I mention before, when all danger of frost is past I'll direct sow some out in the garden and pray that the rabbits don't find them! That's what happened to the nasturtiums I planted last year.Where's Elmer Fudd when you need him?

Tomato Plants

Companion Planting
As a companion plant nasturtiums are said to deter squash bugs (I needed them last year!) and a few other insects in the vegetable garden. They can also be used as a trap crop as reported by Forest Garden Girl. I'll be planting a few of the seeds near the squash plants in my raised beds to help prevent those squash bugs. Radishes are said to help against the squash vine borer but I can't verify that yet - needless to say radishes, nasturtiums and squash will make for an interesting planting combination this year!


I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project. Thanks, to Renee's Garden for the seeds.

Companion Planting and Raised Beds (A Growing Challenge Post)

I've been planning my raised bed garden for a while now and now I've come to another phase. Figuring out how to plant the garden. I'm planning on using a technique called companion planting. Carol at May Dreams Gardens mentioned this a couple weeks ago although she called it Three Sisters gardening. It's concept is pretty simple, plant plants that go well together. By planting these plants you can better manage pests and encourage your plants to thrive with a symbiotic relationship to each other. Some plants can repel or attract pests and some fix nutrients in the soil. It's definitely worth a try! Since I've never used this technique before I thought I'd look up how to do it and find any resources that would help.


What I am going to do is think about companion planting in respect to my raised bed garden. By using their chart I will try to organize what I plan to plant this year in my vegetable garden.

The first vegetable I usually think about in the garden is the tomato. According to the chart onions, marigolds, parsley, and cucumbers will go well together. I was planning on incorporating some marigolds in the garden but if cucumbers go well with the tomatoes I can mix them. That should save some space since the cucumbers will generally be much lower than the tomatoes. The cucumbers should serve as a green mulch and help retain water around the plants.

For the lettuce we can plant it with cucumber or radishes. We'll probably go with the lettuce and radish combination.

Beans have three entries on the chart. One for beans in general, one for bush beans , and one for pole beans. One interesting thing about beans is they fix nitrogen into the soil. This in turn allows other veggies to absorb the nitrogen in the soil and encourages green growth. We may mix a green bean plant into each of the four larger beds.

The peppers are not listed on the chart so I'll just treat them as tomatoes and plant them in similar conditions.

It looks like squash can be planted with the marigolds but has the potato listed as an incompatible plant. I may try to plant the squash in and around the tomatoes like the cucumbers.

The cabbage is good around herbs and onions. That covers most of the list except for the pumpkins and watermelon. I'll probably plant them by themselves in one of the smaller beds where they will cascade out of the beds.

As with many gardening ideas you have to try them to see if they work for you. Companion planting is something I've been interested in for a long time and I'm excited to see how it goes. It should make going organic easier since the plants are working together to prevent pests, prevent disease, and grow strong.

5 Great Companion Plants for Tomatoes

Tomatoes are what I think about when I think of my summer garden. I can't help it. They are the number one crop I like to grow in the summer.  To help my tomatoes prosper I use companion planting techniques to combat insects and help my plants grow better.  Since we're still a couple weeks away from tomato planting time in Tennessee I thought going over a few companion plants for tomatoes might help you to plan out your garden this year.

Basil
Basil is my number one favorite companion plant in the garden.  It's useful in flavoring sauces, salads, and delicious in pesto but is also a great deterrent for insects in the garden.  Basil attracts beneficial insects when in flower (the flowers are edible too) and requires next to nothing to care for it.

Chives
Chives and tomatoes seem like a good fit since since they taste great together on a plate but their companion planting attributes go beyond the dinner table.  Chives help to repel aphids and improve the growth of tomatoes.

Mint
Many people quickly dismiss mint as a companion plant due to its invasive nature but it does have some value as a companion plant in the garden.  It attracts beneficial predator insects like parasitic wasps when flowering.  These wasps lay their eggs on the hornworms.  The eggs hatch and burrow through the hornworn killing it and stopping the hornworn from devouring tomato plants like Godzilla destroying Japan.  To control mint keep it contained in pots.

Parsley
Parsley is another great companion for tomatoes.  It attracts beneficial insects and helps to improve the flavor of tomatoes.

Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are a garden work horse!  They are great around many plants and work very well as a ground cover around tomatoes.  Nasturtiums help prevent aphids, squash beetles, and whiteflies.  It grows very easily and doesn't need much care once it is started.  You can also plant nasturtiums around squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, and other cucurbits.  As a bonus nasturtiums have edible flowers.

My planting strategy for companion for these companion plants:

• Plant basil between the tomato plants. 
• Plant the nasturtiums as a groundcover.  
• Plant chives near the tomatoes and basil.  
• I probably wouldn't use the mint as we have it in other areas around the yard.  
• Plant the parsley in the corners of the raised beds where it is easy to access for kitchen use.  
• Marigolds are another companion plant that can be added to this list and help to prevent nematode damage on tomatoes.  Plant them as a border around the tomato plant for good results.

Often companion plants can be beneficial to more than one type of plant.  Some of these are mentioned in a previous post I wrote on companion planting last year but those mentioned in this post are ideal for tomatoes!

A Companion Planting Vegetable Garden Layout

Yesterday I put together a small vegetable layout plan for my raised bed garden. It's just one of many possibilities for companion planting and it only deals with a small number of plants. This plan features tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and marigolds in a 4 foot by 8 foot bed. All of these plants are listed in various companion planting guides as being compatible with each other. The cucumber will serve as a green mulch, which reduces water loss and helps to protect the soil. The onions will do well in the smaller spaces and the marigolds will help to repel unwanted insects and pests. I may substitute squash in place of the cucumbers. You could also replace the tomatoes with peppers.

A Few Good Tomato Companion Plants:

Asparagus, Onions, Basil, Marigold, Nasturtium, Beans, Celery, Carrots, Cucumber, Peas, and Parsley.

5 Companion Plants and How They Help!

I've mentioned several times about the value of companion planting so today for the Friday Fives I thought I'd go a little more into detail with some specific plants.  Companion planting is an integrated planting technique where the plants benefit each other through pest repulsion or through other beneficial qualities.  It's a really cool thing to do and can make for a visually stunning garden.  With any garden technique it isn't 100% fool proof.  Some damage will occur, some diseases will occur, and that's why the gardener needs to use multiple of techniques to insure a successful garden!

5 Companion Plants and How They Help!

Cosmos

1. One of the most secretive plants that can be use in the vegetable garden that often isn't is ...cosmos!  Cosmos is more than just a pretty flower that is easy to grow.  It's a beneficial bug magnet. Cosmos can attract hoverflies, parasitic wasps, and many others.  Some studies have shown that the sound of bees deters various caterpillars who are afraid of the wasps, and cosmos does attract bees!
2. Basil is not only and awesome herb but repels hornworms and flies.  I plant my basil with the tomatoes and peppers.  Peppers tend to be fairly pest free but tomatoes can have all kinds of insect invaders.  One of the most notable is the hornworm.  It chows down on any foliage it can get a hold of but prefers tomatoes over nearly anything in my garden.  Since I integrated basil with the tomatoes I haven't seen a single one. 

3. 

   Marigolds

   Marigolds are great to plant around your tomatoes too.  They prevent damage from nematodes that like to damage the root systems. If you plant a ring of marigolds around the tomatoes you can actually see the benefits persist in the soil for multiple years.  Pretty cool right?  In addition to fending off the nematodes marigolds can also deter white flies! 
4. One of those most annoying bugs to bother my garden is the squash bug.  Guess what?  There's a plant for that!  Nasturtiums planted around your squash plants deter squash bugs and cucumber beetles.  They can also be used as a trap plant for aphids which are drawn to them.
5. 
   How about this little tasty companion: the radish! Radishes are said to prevent damage from what I consider to be the worst pest of my whole garden, the vine borer.  Vine borers lay there eggs at the base of the squash, hatch, then burrow into the stem.  They cut off the supply of water and nutrients to the rest of the plant which dooms the plant to the compost bin.  Although I haven't tried inter-planting radishes with my squash plants before it is on my agenda for this season.   We love our summer squash here and despise those borers!

For some awesome companion planting advice I highly recommend Carrots Love Tomatoes.  It's a great resource on companion planting and contains some really good planting advice for many varieties of plants!

What companion plants do you use in the garden?

Previous Friday Fives
5 Plants No Garden Should Be Without 5 Vegetables That I Will Always Grow in My Garden   5 Favorite Trees That I Grow In My Garden  5 Ways to Help Wildlife in Your Garden 5 Ways to Naturally Eliminate Weeds   5 Easy To Propagate Plants from Cuttings 5 Herbs You Should Plant in Your Garden  5 Fun Foliage Plants!  5 Ways to Control Garden Pests