Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden

by Sally Jean Cunningham

Book Overview

Discover the secrets of a naturally pest-proof vegetable garden with Great Garden Companions . Let master gardener Sally Jean Cunningham show you how to keep pests and diseases at bay with her unique... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0875968473
• ISBN13: 9780875968476
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Rodale Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Companion Gardening for success!

The book is excellent! It is more informative than other companion gardening books, with this book i am redesigning my garden.

Full of insights

I got this book to explore ways of managing insect pests without chemicals. It was a good choice. Most of the book discusses the way plants (and animals) interact. I found this far more helpful than the standard 'encyclopedic' gardening book which simply lists individual plant characteristics. The book is an interesting mix of home-remedies and scientific know-how. Sometimes the prose is a little too optimistic (the author claims 99% of insects are beneficial), but the overall tone encourages an exploratory and confident outlook. Here are the fundaments of garden health which I found in the book: 1) Bring together a balance of species: plants, insects, birds and animals, in big and small ways 2) Always have some water available of the animal life 3) Always have flowers in bloom since they keep beneficial insects around 4) Keep things changing, rotate planting beds annually I particularly liked the reference material in the final 100 pages. There are sections on plants and sections on insects, but each refers to the other. For example, in the section on corn, we learn that nasturtiums are good companion plants for corn. Also, we discover that small flowered herbs will attact insects that prey on corn-borer larvae that try to steal the harvest. In the section on corn-earworms, there are lists of natural insect enemies and plants that will host the good guys while they wait for earworm to prey upon. Finally, the color photos of the authors blended gardens should inspire everyone!

Great Garden Companions -- What a Resource!

If you do `Organic', then you probably already know Rodale Press and their penchant for searching out and finding the best possible authors. With Sally Jean Cunningham they certainly have a hit the jackpot. She writes so clearly and with such joy that you would think she was a Rodale herself. To give you an idea of what her style is like, in the introduction, Sally Jean illuminates the three harvests that she personally derives from her garden. The first is what you would expect, healthful vegetables and beautiful flowers; the second however is "satisfaction and peace of mind". And the third, she says, is the experience of getting to teach to others the techniques and secrets that she has learned over a lifetime of experimentation in the garden. It would be very difficult to outline all that she teaches. Giving the chapter headings would only be misleading, but suffice it to say that she covers companion planting, french intensive/raised gardening, organic soil building and pest control (which happily includes how to train dogs and children to stay out of the raised beds-LOL) And this in the first few chapters. From there she covers `"good guys" or those beneficials we'd all like to see dancing about our blooms, the inclusion of perennials amongst the seasonal throng; and design elements, such as arbors, creative mulch, creative garden design, etc. Of continual use to me over the years are the sections at the end of the book where she goes veggie by veggie describing friends, foes, growing essentials, spacing, feeding, harvesting tips and problems one is likely to encounter. She also has some summary charts for Beneficials (insects) and plants they like; plants and the pests they may repel; as well as several pages on "Preventing Pest" problems in the first place. Personally, I have only 3 gardening books at home and this is one. And if you are organic (or want to be) or if you just want a wealth of veggie and flora information, then this book will be a great addition to your gardening library.

A nice book for a beginner

As a beginner gardner, this book is helping me to, hopefully, put my garden in order. 'Great Garden Companions' is written in a conversational style and is nicely organized. Ms. Cunningham's experience in gardening shines through with helpful hints and sound advice based on years of working with her companion system. She outlines which vegetables, herbs and flowers work best together to repel pests naturally, covers many basic gardening skills (which I need to develop), and her enthusiasm is evident on every page. I think this book would be an excellent choice for any new gardner or for someone interested in gardening organically.

Wonderful!

This is what gardening is all about! This text approaches gardening in a sustainable, "natural-chaos", good for you and the earth manner. The illustrations are clear, the diagrams simple, new/unfamiliar terms well explained. Very clear, concise, imaginative, and inspiring. The author deserves a BIG thank-you for writing this book. It takes the guess work and mystery out of organic gardening and companion plants. Her methods are simple and effective.

Great Garden Companions : A Companion-Planting System for a

Which plants enhance other plants, attract good bugs, repel bad bugs. Vegetables that are compatible and incompatible. Each section is comprehensive, easy to follow. Great tips, especially the home-made Tomato cages. The paperback version is very nice, lots of pictures and illustrations and large, I also have the hardback. There is information about diseases, ways of planting (container, etc.)This should be in every gardner's library, from beginner to professional.