Companion planting or companion gardening is a method of growing a combination of plants together to get amazing benefits. In essence, this type of gardening is an organic method of growing different plants. I follow this method, but I also have another example of companion gardening to share with you and it involves some beautiful chickens.
The usual meaning of companion planting
One example of companion planting. I always grow a large amount of borage from seed. Borage is so beneficial for attracting pollinators to the garden.
Consequently, the pollinators, pollinate the crops we grow.
In addition, borage can also be used for flavouring your favourite tipple.
Furthermore, borage is an edible herb. The young leaves have a cool cucumber flavour and are ideal to add to your salads and salad dressings.
Borage will grow in a sunny spot and needs well-drained soil. The plant does not grow well in a pot but if you only have space for a pot, use a large one.
I grow borage, because the flowers are so attractive to bees. After a bee has visited a flower, it refills with nectar within two minutes. How amazing is that!
In particular, they are a tremendously useful plant to grow alongside fruit and vegetables to entice more insects to pollinate our crops.
Subsequently, this is one example of companion planting.
More companion plants
Calendula (Pot Marigold) is a beautiful flower, the variety above is Snow Princess. They will flower for months and are also a great companion plant. The flowers are highly attractive to pollinating insects which will in turn pollinate your crops. One example would be your courgette flowers, leading to masses of delicious crops for all those recipes you probably have.
Another companion plant
Poached egg plants (Limnanthes douglasii), have bright white and yellow cup-shaped flowers, hence the common name of poached egg. I let them self-seed on the edge of the lawn as well as in my borders.
The flowers are now starting to bloom as I write this post, and are looking lovely.
This plant is a fantastic choice for a companion plant in the vegetable garden as it attracts a wide range of pollinators and insect predators.
Poached egg plants are particularly attractive to hoverflies. Adult hoverflies are great crop pollinators. In addition, the larvae provide natural insect control by feeding on aphids.
Therefore, I thoroughly recommend sowing some of these.
And now for some companion gardening with my beautiful chickens
For me, companion planting and gardening is not just about the plants. It is also about those you garden with or relax with.
For example, my beautiful chickens are immensely helpful in the garden. They forage for slugs and snails and can be relied on to scratch out any bare area of soil for a dust bath. Sometimes this action is a trifle overexuberant, but it is tremendous fun to watch.
Consequently, the bare area of soil can then be planted up.
I garden with my beautiful chickens for the help they can give, but mainly for the amusement they provide. Besides this, they are a tremendous boost to my wellbeing.
One of my posts Garden to empower, out the anxiety also features my fabulous chickens.
I adopt rescue chickens, those that have finished commercial egg laying and are lucky enough to be rehomed. The charity I adopt my chickens from is https://www.bhwt.org.uk and I can thoroughly recommend contacting them if you would like some chickens.
My beautiful chickens resting
I have been adopting chickens for over fourteen years and every time, it is incredibly joyful to see them settle into their new home. Furthermore, they can dustbathe, sunbathe, scratch about in the soil, and thoroughly enjoy their retirement.
It is absolutely heart-warming to see them growing back their feathers and expressing their personalities. Some of them have huge personalities!
Before and after
Clearly, Celeste, and all my other hens, have a fabulous retirement. My photo’s above show Celeste when she has first adopted. The next photo, shows how beautiful she became with her new feathers.
Surely, the best reward we can have, seeing them thrive and enjoy themselves.
I grow all my flowers and crops from seed in my greenhouse and my chickens sneak in there too. In particular, I grow flowers for the pollinators, dahlias, because I adore them, and crops for tasty meals. Of course, I need to grow extra tomatoes and swiss chard for my helpers!
And relax my beautiful chickens
Whilst I watch the bees and the butterflies and look at all our achievements in the garden, my chickens will often sit with me on my sun lounger.
Evidence that we all need to sit down and relax sometimes.
As a result, we all get a break and a well deserved rest and that all important companionship. I relish the time spent with my girls and I am quite sure they enjoy themselves too.
And a well deserved treat
Swiss chard for the girls
As a result of all the hard work my girls have put in, they deserve a lovely treat.
Consequently, my swiss chard plants are shared with them. Eating the food you grow is super tasty, incredibly fresh, and nutritious. In addition, growing your own fruit, vegetables, and herbs can save you a significant amount of money.
Equally important, is the sustainability, the more food we grow at home, the less impact there will be on our planet.
With this in mind, I always sow an abundance of crops to share, not only with my friends and family, but with my all important beautiful chickens.
My girls deserve a treat after working so tirelessly, scratching the ground and eating all the pests.
My final thoughts
To conclude, whoever you share your garden with, enjoy working in your garden and take the time to relax and bask in your achievements.
Whether this is with your family, your friends, your dogs, your cats, your chickens, companion gardening is a real bonus for our wellbeing.
For example, who has not smiled at the robin who follows you around, waiting for soil to be excavated, in the hope of a tasty worm or two?
With this in mind, who would not want to garden with a beautiful chicken perched on their shoulder, surveying the garden? Well, it works for me!
My post Wonderful powers of a flower is about my story of gardening for wellbeing and my chickens certainly helped me to recover.
Do let me know of your gardening companions. I would love to see a photo too.
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