Because I'm trying to grow my crops more organically each year, planting is a bit more complicated than it used to be. Rather than endlessly spraying my vegetables and flowers with various "killer" chemicals, I intercrop them and try to use the principles of companion gardening to keep insect populations down and grow bigger, healthier plants. Who says that only vegetables can go into the 'vegetable' garden or perennials into the border?
For instance, I like to put rows of calendula between rows of vegetables in my garden patch; supposedly they deter both tomato hornworms and asparagus beetles. Marigolds are ideal companions for roses, as they're reputed to attract hoverflies, which prey on aphids, as well as reduce the number of nematodes in the soil.
I seem to use nasturtiums for intercropping more than any other flower; they serve as an all-purpose insecticide, holding aphids, cabbage worms, and Colorado beetles at bay, and detering wooly aphids, squash bugs and whiteflies. (If you're going to try this, remember to keep your nasturtiums away from broccoli, brussel sprouts, potatoes, and radishes.)
I also like to incorporate as many beneficial herbs as possible into my garden spaces. I always plant garlic around my roses; sometimes I also put in a few mustard plants; the more aphid-deterring plants the better when it comes to roses!
Herbs are also extremely useful in the vegetable garden; for example, thyme is a great choice for bedding around brassicas as it deters cabbage loopers, cabbage worms and whiteflies.
Some care needs to be taken when deciding which herbs to include in your flower and vegetable borders; some of them are just too large (such as fennel) to be useful and others have negative qualities that outweigh their benefits. Catnip, for example, is supposed to deter aphids very effectively, but you may not want all the neighbourhood felines roaming through your rose bed. (I have catnip in mine, but I also have a very large cat, who seems determined to defend the rose beds to the death.)
You also need to pay attention to the bad neighbour aspect of companion planting; some plants will inhibit the growth and/or production of other plants. Peas and onions, for instance, don't 'like' each other, but you should also be aware that French beans don't 'like' onions either; alliums nearby will stunt their growth.
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