Companion planting is a way to encourage your plants to thrive by strategically placing certain plants near each other.

It benefits your garden in several ways: by attracting beneficial insects and bug-eating birds as well as providing nutrients and protecting against disease. A bonus for you and your family: some companion plants also deter pest insects, according to the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension. Garlic can be a good companion plant because it deters a variety of pests, including mosquitoes. Try planting it with beets, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers and broccoli. Basil helps neighboring plants such as lettuce, peppers and tomatoes thrive, and also repels mosquitoes.

You can grow companion plants as a border around other plants, mixed within rows or interspersed throughout a bed.

Plant	plant with	comments
Beans	cabbage family, corn, eggplant, lettuce, marigolds, petunias, potatoes	deters potato beetles, fixes nitrogen
Calendula	cabbage family, corn, lettuce	attracts minute pirate bugs and lacewings
Carrots	lettuce, marigolds, onions, parsley, tomatoes	keep away from dill
Cabbage family	aromatic herbs, chamomile, marigolds, onions, nasturtiums, potatoes	keep away from strawberries & tomatoes
Catnip	eggplant, lettuce, oriental greens, potatoes	repels flea beetles; use as a mulch
Cucumbers	lettuce, nasturtiums, onions, peas, petunias, radish	keep away from sunflowers & potatoes
Geraniums	cabbage family, grapes	repels cabbage worms, Japanese beetles
Lettuce	beans, cabbage family, calendula, carrots onions, peas, pansies, radish	compatible with most garden plants
Marigolds	all garden plants	repels aphids, potato & squash bugs; mass plantings kill nematodes
Nasturtiums	all garden plants	deters many pests; masks plant odors
Onions	most garden plants, except peas & beans	deters many pests; masks plant odors
Petunias	eggplant, grapes, greens, squash	also plant with any vegetable bothered by leaf hoppers
Peas	carrots, corn, cucumbers, potatoes	fixes nitrogen; keep away from onions
Peppers	basil, carrots, onions, parsley	keep away from fennel
Radish	especially carrots, cucumbers, squash	repels cucumber beetles
Squash	nasturtiums, onions, petunias, radish	keep away from cucumbers & melons
Tomatoes	basil, carrots, chamomile, marigolds,	keep away from fennel & potatoes