I grew up gardening, and for as long as I can remember. I have known that some plants, like marigolds, are great companions for others. In fact, as a young child, I formed my own opinons about my favorites in my grandma’s garden. I loved her sweet strawberries. She always baked strips of pie crust to  cradle the sugar-sweet berries, and she topped the delicacy  with freshly whipped cream. What a treat!

I also liked any of her flowers that had a grandma-sweet smell, and for that reason, I quickly determined that marigolds were not my favorites of her flowers. But after I discovered that marigolds were great for deterring pests for the plants around them, I simply assumed that the marigold’s bitter fragrance was its magic weapon. By the time I was five, I understood the importance of companion plants. Before I place anything in my garden, I check to see what plants I should grow around each of them and why.

Chandler Strawberry

“Bred Especially for Southern Growers!”

Today is only March 5. By Strawberry Time, the days beome brutaly hot. In short, today was a great day to plant some strawberries. I am setting them around a brick path, and my hope is to grow some other sweet plants around them. My intention is to focus on great coants for my strawberberries:

Sweet Alyssum

“Sweet alyssum can benefit nearly every plant in your garden. But it is an especially great strawberry companion plant because it offers a double whammy: pest protection and pollinator habitat.” Epic Gardening

Alyssum – History of An Heirloom Flower that Dates Back At Least to the Middle Ages

Yarrow

“Yarrow is another classic strawberry companion plant that complements lots of garden crops. When grown near strawberries, yarrow attracts pollinators and predator bugs to help you grow more quality berries.” Epic Gardening

Yarrow – A Naturalized Pollinator Plant for Gardens

Borage

“Old gardeners’ tales say that borage makes your strawberries taste sweter. We don’t have any scienece on this, but we do know that borage is a beautiful deep-blue flower that attracts pollinators and beneficial insects while also protecting strawberries from disease.” Epic Gardening

Borage – A Self-Seeding Blue Herb that is Both Tasty and Beautiful in the Garden

Creeping Thyme

“Creeping thyme is a must for any companion planting gardener. One of my most successful garden experiments involved growing creeping thyme as a “living mulch” beneath my strawberry plants. ,,, Thyme has undeniably fragrant leaves that keep all sorts of pests at bay. But the creeping varieties are even more beneficial as strawberry companion plants because they provide a low-growing soil cover.” Epic Gardening

Catnip

Catnip’s delicious nectar is irresistible to pollinators and predatory wasps, yet its unique chemical composition is repulsive to insect pests. Some evidence even shows that it can be as effective as synthetic DEET for repelling mosquitoes and other pesky flying insects.

Flowering Herbs – How to Grow Them – How to Use Them

 

Basil

“Sometimes plants that go together in the kitchen also go together in the garden. If you’re craving strawberry-basil lemonade, mojitos, or a summer balsamic salad, you must plant basil in your strawberry patch!” Epic Gardening

Sweet Basil – Prized Herb for Its True Basil Fragrance and Taste of Little Italy in Your Garden

Chives

All the alliums  and onions are great companion plants for the garden, but chives are my favorites to plant near my strawberries. Like strawberries, they are dainty, and I like their blooms. My chives are evergreen, and today, they are about to bloom. This is my second year for the chives growing in my garden. They have been evergreen, and their clumps have at least doubled. I grow chives between the spinach plants, and both of these plants are a row beyond my strawberries. I will plant marigolds in this mix, too.

 

I know that spinach is a great companion for strawberries, and I have planted spinach behind my strawberry plants. My strawberry plants edge the brick path that runs though my rose garden.

Lavender is a great companion of strawberries, bur lavender doesn’t grow well in Mississippi’s heat.

On the other hand, garlic, chives, and onion are good companions for strawberries.