Combinations

Twenty years of companion planting, packaged as complete bed recipes: which plants share a bed, why they get along, and how the season plays out. Field-tested at 57° north — each recipe links to the crops in it, with a season timeline for the whole bed.

One batch per season

Outdoor cucumber + Sweet corn

Outdoor cucumbers climb and shelter between the corn rows.

Strawberries + Arctic bramble + Yellow onion (from seed)

One of the hidden gems among the pairings — the onions confuse the pests, the bramble covers the ground, and everything in the bed is edible.

Jerusalem artichokes + Pole beans

One of the few single-round beds of the season: the artichokes take their time, and the beans use the tall stalks as a free trellis. Climbing Longbean Red Noodle was the bean that year.

Sweet corn + Marigold + Zucchini

A simple, beautiful trio: corn brings the height, zucchini keeps the soil covered and moist, marigold pulls in the pollinators and keeps some pests guessing. Close cousin of the plain corn + zucchini bed.

Sweet corn + Zucchini + Pumpkin

Corn gives height, zucchini and pumpkin cover the ground and keep the weeds down. A classic three-sisters variation without the beans.

Sweet corn + Zucchini

Fast version of the corn guild for a smaller bed.

Summer carrot + Leek + Petunia

A favourite trio where every plant has a job: the carrot works underground, the leek stands guard against the carrot fly, and the petunia covers the soil and looks after the looks.

Potatoes + Sunflowers + Beans

An experiment in a block of three 9.6 m rows. Low sunflower varieties only — the beds are 70 cm high, so tall ones would be absurd. Written up as a draft that never got published.. until now.

Leek + Cornflower

An unexpected harmony discovered by accident: cornflower seeds sown straight into the leek row at transplanting time. The leeks stand guard, the cornflowers bring the bees.

Illustration
coming