Hokianga Heirloom Tomatoes
Companion Planting History
And now we have the technology to prove it!
Plants don’t just grow, they strategise. Alongside the essential compounds they need to survive (called primary metabolites), plants also produce secondary metabolites, powerful substances designed to serve specific purposes. These might make a leaf taste bitter to stop a hungry grazer, or help a flower attract the exact insect it needs for pollination.
What’s remarkable is how many of these natural compounds have been harnessed for medicines, flavourings, fragrances, and even pesticides. So before reaching for a chemical spray, ask yourself:
Why am I buying pesticides when the plants already know how to take care of themselves?
With ancestral knowledge and a little curiosity, you can grow in harmony with the land. Step back. Feel that quiet strength. This is food sovereignty in action, and every choice you make in the garden is a step closer to growing with love, not control.
Companion Gardening
A cottage garden tradition
We have been miseducated about gardening. Weeding and leaving the soil bare weaken our gardens. We were told that weeds compete for nutrients and light, but it's important to remember the context for a deeper understanding, like in my zebra story.
Keeping the soil covered with living plants helps suppress unwanted growth, protects the earth from harsh rain and drought, and strengthens the overall ecosystem.
Personally, I avoid the word weed. It carries a heavy implication, not just for the plant, but for how we relate to nature itself. Instead, I prefer to reframe it. I've dedicated a whole section to this dangerous misconception, so pop over to Weed Love for a deeper dive.
One person's weed is another man's wild flower - Dave Goulson.
There's beauty, culture, and shelter in the so-called 'weeds.' Aveline, the miner's daughter in Silent Earth, reminds us: "Weeds are life's great rebels." The resilience of dandelion, the quiet wisdom of plantain. They're not invaders, they're the ancestors of green resilience. They are full of ancient wisdom.
Dave Goulson is the author of "Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse." If you're interested in enhancing your garden skills, I've compiled a collection of essential books I keep for quick reference.
To elevate your gardening experience, check out my Tool Shed. Always remember, the sharpest tool in your shed should be your beautiful mind.
A Living Tradition from the Cottage Garden
Let your plants not pesticides do the heavy lifting
The roots of companion planting trace back to the traditional cottage gardens of Europe - small densely planted spaces where vegetables, flowers and herbs grew together in harmony. Born out of necessity, these gardens were originally designed to keep families fed and healthy using the limited space around their homes.
As time went on, and land access became more restricted, these methods evolved into the allotment gardens we know today - communal plots still practice many of the same techniques.
Companion planting was not based on theory, but on generations of lived experience. Cottagers passed down knowledge of which plants supported each other: pairing herbs, flowers, and crops in ways that improved growth, deterred pests, and kept the soil thriving.
Even with limited time, country gardeners chose plants that worked together, kept the garden blooming across the seasons, and needed minimal upkeep. This practice wasn't just beautiful - it was deeply practical and ecological.
Today, this tradition remains a guiding light for gardeners seeking a natural, self-supporting system, where plants, not pesticides, do the heavy lifting.
Good and Poor Companions for Tomato Plants
Good Vegetable Companions
asparagus, basil, cabbage, carrot, celery, chives (to the front of the border), onion, parsley, pea
Bad Vegetable Companions
red cabbage, potato, beetroot and kohlrabi
Good Herb Companions
borage, lemon balm, and sage
Poor Herb Companions
dill, rosemary, fennel
Last but not least, and the most important
MARIGOLDS WITH EVERYTHING!
