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 plan covering three raised beds with chilli as the main crop — marigold and basil fill the gaps, and a first quick batch of radishes, parsley and dill gets harvested out before the chillies need the space.
An early experiment across two beds with glass and plastic frames as cold protection: winter-sown pak choi first, then outdoor cucumbers with dill in between.
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.
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.
Corn gives height, zucchini and pumpkin cover the ground and keep the weeds down. A classic three-sisters variation without the beans.
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.
Three harvests from the same bed in the Needs Less quarter: winter-sown early carrots and radishes first, then onions in the middle, then autumn carrots for storage.
An experiment: growing melon and aubergine in a raised bed without a greenhouse, using frames for the extra heat. Early pak choi got the bed started before the heat-lovers moved in.
A full mixed row: roots, alliums and flowers in one bed.
The deep-root mixed bed with flowers on top.
The extended greenhouse guild — every heat-lover in one managed space.
The greenhouse heat-lovers share the same watering, feeding and temperature rhythm.
A bed built around early potatoes (8 plants per 80 cm width), with arugula racing in the gaps and cucumber, parsley and pak choi taking over as the season turned.
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.
A two-harvest bed in the cabbage quarter: one quick first round of arugula, spinach and radishes, then the brassicas take the space for the rest of the season.
A cabbage-quarter bed with three rounds: early radishes, spinach and arugula first — then kale, and more kale.
A bed in the Enrichers with a twist quarter, planned for three harvests in one season — the peas feed the soil while the beetroot fills the rows.
Early lettuce and arugula first, then one or two rounds of carrots with dill in the gaps — the classic quiet bed that just keeps producing.
Three planned harvests: early lettuce first, then red onions from sets in the middle and autumn carrots and beetroot filling out toward the edges.
A two-harvest bed in the Enrichers with a twist quarter: two rounds of peas alongside the corn, then autumn spinach to close the season.
The classic Three Sisters as the mid-season crop, framed by spinach before and after: corn carries the beans, the beans feed the soil, the pumpkin keeps it covered. Bean of the year: Yin Yang. Tried the season before with good results.
Potatoes are the backbone, growing May to September — which leaves room for spinach before (winter-sown) and Swiss chard after. Borlotti was the bean that year.
A near-twin of the potato + chard bed, but with pak choi as the autumn crop instead.
A two-harvest bed: quick, cold-hardy spinach and lettuce as the winter-sown first round, then the cabbages take over for the long haul.
A bed in the Enrichers with a twist quarter with edamame soybeans as the base crop per the rotation. Honest outcome: the soybeans never germinated that season. The zucchini did not mind.
A bed built around outdoor tomatoes: an early round of Asian leaves first, then bush tomatoes with their classic companions marigold and basil.
The full squash guild: corn as the vertical layer, squashes sprawling below.
One of the exception beds: a pure garlic bed (about 50 cloves on 120x80 cm, varieties Sabadrome and more), with spinach before and Jerusalem artichokes holding the neighbouring corner.
Outdoor cucumbers climb and shelter between the corn rows.
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.
The greenhouse experiments — two heat-hungry climbers sharing the warmest corner.
Onions confuse the root fly; turnips fill the gaps.
Direct-sown parsley marks the row while turnips race ahead.
Pickling cucumbers use the corn stalks as living trellis.
The minimal guild — corn up, pumpkin down.
Fast version of the corn guild for a smaller bed.
Chard's deep roots and turnip's shallow ones stay out of each other's way.
Autumn carrots take over as the turnips leave.
Summer carrots and turnips share the row on different timelines.
Slow parsnips get a running start behind fast turnips.
Flowers pull the pollinators in — and look after the bed's looks.
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.
Same root-fly trick as the yellow onions, red version.
Two root crops, different depths, one row.
Quick turnips harvest out while the slow salsify takes its time.
Winter squash sprawls under the corn and stores into winter.