| Companion planting is mostly grouping plants that either grow better together than apart, or Plant A protects Plant B from pests. Guilds are grouping plants that have specific 'jobs', working together to nurture and/or benefit each other. There is usually a central element (like a fruit tree, etc), and it is surrounded with complimentary plants: * Some help to reduce competition for nutrients (flower bulbs help to cut down the amount of invasive grasses that compete with the fruit tree) * Some drop leaves and provide mulch. (Comfrey is one). * Some provide shelter from wind, frost or too much sun. * Some provide nutrients. (Legumes like peas and beans pull nitrogen from the air and deposit it via their roots in the soil.) * Some protect the major plant from pests. (Tagetes marigolds) * Some are insectary plants, which attract and host beneficial insects, for pollination or for preying on pest insects. (Umbelliferous plants) * Some are sacrificial plants, that pests will attack instead of the fruit tree. (Nasturtiums) * Some are ground covers that shade and protect the soil. (Clover). Sue | 
