I love your approach to gardening Christine!
I looked at your companion planting list too, I have always liked that idea and have tried a couple of things such as planting marigolds around carrots. I think the scent is supposed to deter the carrot fly, if I remember correctly it worked but I haven't tried it again. I'm a little short on veggie growing space, and each year seems to vary according to the weather conditions I think.
I did find when I spread a lot of fire ash over the ground I had virtually no carrot fly too, that is another good method. Now I burn all my garden rubbish which I accumulate after tidying up in spring and spread the ash on the veggie patch. Much better than sending it off to be recycled and it feeds the ground as well with potash. I leave the dead foliage etc. over winter, it provides places for insects and bugs to overwinter. When I clear up most will have left their hideouts.
I also use my own home made compost which encourages a lot of predators, as well as feeding my garden and creating a good soil balance, I call it my black gold. It's mostly from the huge Horse Chestnut tree leaves (which is in my garden).
For far too long we have been brain washed by television adverts and gardening programmes to keep our gardens spick and span and neat, but that creates a sterile environment which only causes more problems.
