Cauliflower and Broccoli

It's a couple of years since I've grown cauliflower or broccoli because they get so savaged by the white cabbage butterfly as it lays its eggs there and they hatch into hungry caterpillars, but this year I read that interplanting with celery deters these pests, so I gave it a go.

Unqualified success!

The broccoli all matured at once, a couple of days before Christmas, so was hastily blanched and frozen. There wasn't ONE caterpillar or other nasty on any of it!

Today I harvested the first row of cauliflower - it wasn't as pretty as the broccoli, there was a bit of interleaving (don't know the correct name, but little leaves growing between the florets), but likewise not one caterpillar.
It's really unusual - when I blanch cauliflower, (2mins) there are usually a few dead caterpillars left floating in the pan!

So now there's celery that can get some fresh air with the brassicas gone, and can grow strong and hearty for winter soups and stews.  I love companion planting!!
Nice to have some vegetables in the freezer ready for winter too!