What I have learned about companion gardening is the importance of your 'neighborhoods' being little planned communities. Everyone in the neighborhood has to get along and they should all work together to make one big happy section of your garden. One of the first neighborhoods you should address is the Cabbage Neighborhood because of the need to plant your cole crops first.
What do you plant in the cabbage neighborhood?
Broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, radishes, turnips, parsnips, carrots and brussels sprouts. Now I plant everything listed except brussels sprouts because no one in our family likes them. Whatever you do, don't waste precious garden space planting things that no one will eat!
I do not plant a lot of broccoli and cauliflower in the spring. I find those plants do better in the fall. I also will plant the Chinese Cabbage and collards in the fall.
Now in the early spring I will plant, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, radishes, turnips, parsnips and carrots. I will also include onions, beets, lettuce (all varieties) and swiss chard. As soon as it warms up a little I will work in calendulas, cosmos, and marigolds. You can also add in some herbs such as rosemary and thyme.
Basically, you want your flowers and herbs that complement and help the growth of your vegetables, and you want to keep pests confused. Sometimes I find it is not just the pests that get confused! Companion gardening is what drove me to keeping a notebook so I could keep up with what to plant where. When I'm in the garden, my notebook is right there in my gardening bucket for quick access if I get confused.
Think of the vegetables as the family and the flowers and herbs as the friends. In terms of space, I always allow plenty of room for the cabbages and bok choy. I use two 4'x8' beds because I figure if you have too much, make kimchee or sauerkraut. Besides, the cabbage neighborhood always looks great from spring until about October.
