What is Companion Planting?

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I remember one season, I had my garden rows perfectly aligned, one row of chinese cabbages, a row of carrots and so on. The rows were appealing to the eye. However, I soon found that my chinese cabbages were victims of hungry slugs and snails. Some advised drowning the slugs in beer, going out at night and picking them off or laying out crushed egg shells around the plants. I had tried the egg shells and picking them off (which I then released them to another corner of our property).

I did not have the stomach to kill any of them and never have.

That's when I stumbled upon both companion planting and trap crops (that's another topic I will discuss later). I knew there had to be another way. And if you know me well, you will know I don't actually take things as gospel now. If they don't feel right for me, regardless of the status quo, I will find another way. Hence my favourite saying and quote of mine is "everything is figure-out-able." I know it's not an official word, but it is to me.

So what is companion planting?

Companion planting is a gardening practice where you sow plants together in the same bed that are literally companions - that means they grow well together.

Nothing in my garden is harmed by me, I simply encourage mother nature and work alongside her to benefit us both"

Back to my story above about my chinese cabbages. I was able to harvest some, but a majority of them I left for the slugs and snails and worked on figuring out this companion planting thing. It opened a hole new world of beauty. If I had of known about companion planting (which I'm glad I do now) I would have planted garlic and onions in amongst my chinese cabbages to deter the snails and bugs. They also deter carrot flies! I did not have much success with carrots that year.

Gone are the days of perfect rows (if there are perfect rows of one crop there are likely sprays involved), now I have flowers and wildness galore.

If you'd like to learn more about companion planting, what plants to grow together (and not), be sure to subscribe to my Weekly Musings in the Garden and Kitchen email list. I will let you know when my companion guide is ready and launched.

Aley Young

Mother of 4, Reiki Master, Nature's elemental

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About this blog

I’m Aley Young, the heart behind The Energy Within Her Blog.

A soft, grounded space where healing, personal growth, and emotional healing meet gentle truth.

This is my living journal - a place where I share the moments, lessons, and inner shifts that have shaped my own healing journey, from nervous system healing and regulation to motherhood, identity, and becoming.

From slow living and mindfulness, to rebuilding self-trust and reconnecting with your intuition and higher self…

this is where I write the things I once needed to hear.

Every piece here is an invitation to soften, breathe, and reconnect with the woman you’re becoming.

This is a space for women empowerment and personal growth, where you are supported in feeling seen, grounded, and less alone as you rebuild yourself from the inside out.

Move slowly.

Begin wherever your heart lands.

  • Aley Young (Mother of 4, Reiki Master, BN, BA (Psychology and Education), Diploma in Small Business & Project Management)