The bugs have already begun to rear their ugly little heads in our small garden. Since chemically-laced pesticides are out of the question (and rightly so; they can infiltrate the water, stay in the soil for years to come, and worst of all, poison the bee population), it helps to know about plenty of alternatives for organic pest control.

Here's a thought: use plants to protect one another. As you plan your spring raised bed, container garden, or square-foot bed, use these tips to decide what goes where. Jump below for the link...

Allen Smith (of P. Allen Smith's Garden Home) has a wonderful list of plants that offer their counterparts protection. He's got tips for where to plant what, and why. After reading it, we'll be moving our basil container a lot closer to the tomatoes, because basil is said to repel mosquitoes and flies.

Have any of you had luck with this kind of strategic gardening?

Photo by Amber Byfield.