The Complete Guide to Companion Planting: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Garden Successful (Back-To-Basics Gardening)
Author
Dale Mayer
Publisher
Atlantic Publishing Group Inc.
4 Review Copies Left
The idea of companion planting has arisen in the gardening community in recent years as an extremely viable new take on how plants should situated, grown, and cultivated. Matching certain plants together and separating others, as outlined in studies such as the National Sustainable Agriculture Society s report on the subject that shows each crop with at least three companionable crops and as many as four incompatible crops. Whether you are planting Tomatoes and Onions or Carrots and Corn, the proper pairing of your plants can have a major impact on your eventual harvest and the quality of your vegetables. This book shows you, the avid gardener, everything you need to know to effectively pair your crops in a way that ensures there are no incompatibilities and that you get the most out of every seed. You will learn the basics of crop rotation and how it has been used since the dawn of cultivation almost 12,000 years ago to maintain the integrity of soil and harvests. You will learn how companion planting is an extension of this basic format and how it works in tandem with natural conditions and plant minerals to create the best produce. You will learn about how to prepare your garden and how to set the right system in place. You will learn, via a chart and a great deal of detail, about each possible combination, the best possible companion plants as well as which plants are largely incompatible. You will learn about how perennials and shrubs coexist and the fundamentals of companion planting care and seasonal care of your plants. From the top tips and methods for this style of gardening to which plants bring good insects and which ones keep pests away, you will learn everything you need to know to plot out and plant your perfect garden.
Reviews
“The Complete Guide to Companion Planting” by Dale Mayer is a book that shows the reader how to get the best out of their garden. As the author states in the introduction, “companion planting is best described as the practice of planting two or more plants together to enhance the growth and quality of nearby plants; to provide maximum ground cover; and, when possible, to improve the soil.” If this was the information you were looking for, then this is the book for you!
Ms. Mayer gives examples in the first chapter about companion planting pairs and defines what such terms as perennials and flowering shrubs mean. She also discusses full-sun gardens, shade gardens, container gardens, window-box gardens, small corner (mini) gardens, raised bed gardens, and border gardens and gives the pros and cons of each in easy-to-read tables. She covers the good and bad bugs that usually come with gardens as well as birds, bats, frogs and toads.
Then onto the actual plants themselves. Starting with Chapter 6, Ms. Mayer goes into detail about companion herbs (with pictures!), vegetables, annuals, perennials, fruits and more. She definitely shows that she knows what she is talking about with her descriptions and her suggestions about what to plant with what (i.e. Dutchman’s Pipe Vine is a good companion for plants requiring dense shade and the flowers will attract birds and butterflies, in particular the swallowtail butterfly).
This is definitely a good book to have on hand when planning and executing any type of garden!
Reviewed on 05/19/2012 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Heather Strauss
