ALFALFA: Perennial that roots deeply. Fixes the soil with nitrogen, accumulates iron, magnesium, 
phosphorous
       and potassium. Withstands droughts with it's long taproot and can improve just about any soil! 
       AMARANTH: A tropical annual that needs hot conditions to flourish. Good with sweet corn, it's 
leaves provide
       shade giving the corm a rich, moist root run. Host to predatory ground beetles. Eat the young 
leaves in salads. 
       ANISE: Licorice flavored herb, good host for predatory wasps which prey on aphids. Deters pests 
from brassicas
       by camouflaging their odor. Improves the vigor of any plants growing near it. Used in ointments 
to protect against
       bug stings and bites.
       BASIL: Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavor. Said to repel flies and mosquitoes. Do 
not plant near
       rue. 
       BAY LEAF: A fresh leaf bay leaf in each storage container of beans or grains will deter weevils 
and moths.
       Sprinkle dried leaves with other deterrent herbs in garden as natural insecticide dust. A good 
combo: Bay leaves,
       cayenne pepper, tansy and peppermint.
       BEANS: All bean enrich the soil with nitrogen fixed form the air. In general they are good 
company for carrots,
       brassicas, beets, and cucumbers. Great for heavy nitrogen users like corn and grain plants. 
French Haricot beans,
       sweet corn and melons are a good combo. Keep beans away from the alliums. 
       BEE BALM (Oswego): Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavor.
       BEET: Good for adding minerals to the soil. The leaves are composed of 25% magnesium. Companions 
are lettuce,
       onions and brassicas.  
       BORAGE: Companion plant for tomatoes, squash and strawberries. Deters tomato and cabbage worms. 
One of the
       best bee attracting plants. Adds trace minerals to the soil and is a good addition the compost 
pile. 
       BRASSICA: Benefit from chamomile, peppermint, dill, sage, and rosemary. They need rich soil with 
plenty of lime
       to flourish.
       BUCKWHEAT: Accumulates calcium and can be grown as a cover crop. Attracts hoverflies in droves. 
(Member of
       the brassica family.)
       CARAWAY: Good for loosening compacted soil with it's deep roots. Tricky to establish. The flowers 
attract a
       number of beneficial insects.
       CATNIP: Deters flea beetles, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, ants and weevils. We have 
found it repels
       mice quite well: mice were wreaking havoc in our outbuildings. We spread sprigs of mint 
throughout and the mice
       split!  
       CHAMOMILE, GERMAN:  Annual. Improves flavor of cabbages and onions. Host to hoverflies and wasps.
       Accumulates calcium, potassium and sulfur, later returning them to the soil. Increases oil 
production from herbs.
       Roman chamomile is a low growing perennial. 
       CHERVIL: Companion to radishes for improved growth and flavor. Keeps aphids off lettuce. Likes 
shade. 
       CHIVES: Improves growth and flavor of carrots. Chives may drive away Japanese beetles. A tea of 
chives may be
       used on cucumbers to prevent downy mildew. 
       CHRYSANTHEMUMS: C. coccineum kills root nematodes. (the bad ones) It's flowers along with those 
of C.
       cineraruaefolium have been used as botanical pesticides for centuries. (i.e. pyrethrum) White 
flowering
       chrysanthemums repel Japanese beetles. 
       CLOVER: Long used as a green manure and plant companion. Attracts many beneficials. Useful 
planted around
       apple trees to attract predators of the woolly aphid.
       COMFREY: Accumulates calcium, phosphorous and potassium. Likes wet spots to grow in. Traditional 
medicinal
       plant.
       CORIANDER: Repels aphids. A tea from this can be used as a spray for spider mites. A partner for 
anise.
       DILL: Improves growth and health of cabbage. Do not plant near carrots. Best friend for lettuce. 
Attracts
       hoverflies and predatory wasps. Repels aphids and spider mites to some degree. Also may repel the 
dreaded
       squash bug! (scatter some good size dill leaves on plants that are suspect to squash bugs, like 
squash plants,
       yeah that's the ticket.) Dill goes well with onions and cucumbers. 
       ELDERBERRY: A spray made from the leaves can be used against aphids, carrot root fly, cuke 
beetles and peach
       tree borers. Put branches and leaves in mole runs to banish them. Yes, it works!  
       FLAX: Plant with carrots, and potatoes. Flax contains tannin and linseed oils which may offend 
the Colorado
       potato bug.
       GARLIC: Plant near roses to repel aphids. Accumulates sulfur: a naturally occurring fungicide 
which will help in
       the garden. Has some value in offending codling moths, Japanese beetles, root maggots, snails, 
and carrot root fly.
       Researchers have observed that time-released garlic capsules planted at the bases of fruit trees 
actually kept deer
       away! Hey, worth a try!
       GOPHER PURGE: Deters gophers, and moles.