Welcome to my second article all about companion planting strategies. In this series I am organizing my research about companion plants into a bundles, which are groupings of plants designed to give one key crop a super-charged ecosystem to thrive in.

The Brassicas Bundle

Brassicas come in many different forms. Common examples we think of are the plants with crunchy rounded leaves, and a thick stalk of a stem, like Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and Cabbage. Other plants such as Mustard Greens and even Turnips fall into this category, as different as they might be. Do you know any others that fall into this category?

Brassicas tend to require a little bit of spacing around them so their roots can spread out enough to feed the plant. One great thing about brassicas, is they can be started earlier than other plants, even when there is some frost. A mature plant can even over-winter with good success. They do not like extended dry heat, and when stressed they tend to attract aphids, slugs, and other pests.

With the right companions nearby, brassicas can expand and form a crispy vegetable to be harvested, loaded with nutrition.

* Items marked below with an asterisk are not illustrated above. I'm not planning to grow it.

Super Companions

All of these plants will probably thrive, while also benefiting the nearby brassicas.

• Anise
• Cilantro
• Onion

Additional Companions

These ones should grow fine, but aren't super boosted by any of the others nearby.

• Chamomile*
• Dill*
• Hyssop*
• Mint
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Wormwood*
• Thyme
• All smelly herbs! Good and bad smells are beneficial.

Some of these plants grow better from cuttings and dividing than from starting from seed. I have a good supply of Peppermint, Spearmint, Strawberry Mint, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Oregano, and Thyme already growing elsewhere in potted containers. Many of these will be easy enough to incorporate into my planting site. Sage is the only one I have not yet grown that I am considering adding to my collection. Sage is easier to grow from division than from seed, so I may consider purchasing some starter plants.

Anise and Cilantro will be grown from my supply of seeds. They need lots of warmth and protection from the sun when it gets too hot and harsh. Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage are really good at providing the shade and cool micro-climate needed for these herbs.

Site Location

Grow Bag 1: In the back yard, the elevation slopes down slightly and flattens out under the trees. Here, I have a grow bed that gets full sun. The fence and high conifers provide some morning shade. A nearby rose and clematis vine spreads on the fence and attracts pollinators during Summer.

Many of these seeds are slightly cold hardy, so I decided to direct sow these seeds early, rather than the recommended dates. The way I garden, rules on packages are just suggestions. Planting dates are never absolute to the calendar.

The milk cartons and cups should provide a greenhouse effect, keep moisture on the seeds, and deter birds and squirrels. Never tried it this way before, so we'll see how it works. I only used about about a quarter of my seed supply, leaving plenty to apply a succession of new seeds if this first batch doesn't work. My oldest seeds, and the ones I harvested myself, I use up first, saving my better seeds for the warmer weeks ahead.

Cilantro and Anise do not normally grow in cold temperatures, so I am taking a gamble by planting those seeds. Perhaps they will enjoy the added insulation under the plastic cartons during this unusually warm March month.

For the mint, I am thinking of using smaller pots to place inside the bed and use a tray underneath them to prevent the roots from invading the main bed.

Illustration

This image was drawn in pencil, and later inked in pen.

Markers were used to color in the image. Metallic green ink gel pens also added for special effect.

Anybody else enjoy coloring? Feel free to click the image for a full-scale view. Print it out, and you can try coloring it in with crayons for a peaceful rainy day activity.

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To learn more about the Purpose of this series, be sure to check out my first posting, titled Companion Plants Illustration: The Peas Bundle, where I describe the processes that went into these illustrations and how they came about.

Coming Soon!

I've got more Companion Planting illustrations I'll be sharing through the week. The turned out really good, so I hope you stay tuned and check them out.

• Tomato Bundle
• Corn/Beans/Lettuce Bundles
• Carrots Bundle
• Apple/Fruit Trees Bundle

Thank you for checking out my hand drawn art illustrations. Hope you learned something too that might be helpful this year to some people.

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