I would shy away from other plants that need a lot of nutrients and water, like pumpkins, etc. I've not tried mixing hops with the rest of my garden - would be interesting to see what you find. Herb may be safe, but not sure they benefit the hops or vice versa.
I've also never had any pest issues because the aphids prefer my wife's lupines and the rose bush. I usually use insecticidal soap on the "trap crop lupine" and just blast, gently, the roses with water.