Quick - plant companions!

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

I am always rather full of myself when giving the grand tour of "the grounds" (most visitors have to put up with this - unless it is really raining) and I proceed to show-off my marvellous vegetable crops intoning about the wisdom of "companion planting"!  So here is a little reminder of plants to get in the ground now if you haven't already done so -  buy them from a nursey or garden centre so the rapidly growing plants will benefit for a yield in September.

Dwarf Marigolds make good edging plants that may deter rabbits and some varieties are known for their ability to starve out root-knot nematodes when planted the year before and macerated and then ploughed into the soil where the chemicals that affect the nematodes are then released.  This sounds like a lot of work to me and therefore probably not going to happen in my veg patch!
 
Not only do they look good but Nasturtiums sprawl out over the ground, so they suppress weeds and shade the soil when grown near tall plants like sweet corn, tomatoes or sunflowers.  Zinnia are tall, single-flowered varieties which attract butterflies and look great grown with dill, fennel and cosmos. 
 
Hyssop, Catnip, lemon balm, lavender, mint, salvia, savoury, thyme… are all part of the Lamiaceae family and have a flower structure that can be accessed by a wide range of insects, including small bees. Insects need only a short tongue to reach the nectar and pollen hidden inside the two-lipped blossoms. 
 
Hero plant!  Feverfew repels insects of all nature, so it is a good plant to grow near entryways – well, anywhere really!

Here's an easy introduction and from people who know what they're talking about!
www.gardenersworld.com/plants/10-companion-plants-to-grow/