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83rd out of 219 books
—
67 voters
Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden
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 companion-gardening system. By planting special combinations of vegetables, flowers, and herbs, you can minimize pest and disease problems and create a high-yielding, beautiful...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
May 19th 2000
by Rodale Books
(first published 1998)
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I learned so much from this simple book. I loved the way the author organized the material, and the illustrations crack me up. Her love and respect for nature's hierarchy is ever present in this very informative book. One to purchase for future reference.
The book struck me as light-weight when I checked it out of the library: green type, line drawings, cutesy titling (Love Your Compost Pile), etc. So I didn't have high hopes, despite a friend's enthusiastic recommendation and the fact that the author is a Master Gardener.
Thank goodness I actually read the book! It's awesome, and I'll probably be placing an order for my very own copy.
I have had John Jeavons's book, "How to Grow More Vegetables" for many years, even purchasing updated editions bec...more
Thank goodness I actually read the book! It's awesome, and I'll probably be placing an order for my very own copy.
I have had John Jeavons's book, "How to Grow More Vegetables" for many years, even purchasing updated editions bec...more
After finishing Michael Pollan's Second Nature, in which he tries to find a balance between the rigid no-weed policy of a traditional garden and the Emersonian weed-is-a-plant-whose-virtues-have-not-yet-been-discovered school of thought, I found Great Garden Companions to be a refreshing tale of success. In the intro, Cunningham mentions that she struggled when she first went organic to produce even close to what she had before--until she realized that organic requires a new framework. You can't...more
I got this book from the library and most of the way through it I thought I could just get away with taking some notes and not buying it. The detailed information at the end caught my eye and seemed worth the purchase. I first thought that it would be like information found in any gardening book about specific plants, but when I compared a few plants with what gardening books I had I realized how much better the info was in this book.
The author groups veggies, flowers and herbs together in a be...more
The author groups veggies, flowers and herbs together in a be...more
Despite the hokey cover, this is a really great book on gardening especially for a beginner who wants to have a slamming organic garden and at the same time wants to be spared scientific/esoteric gardening vocabulary. Very readable book, Sally's Tips and Tricks are great, the pre-designed gardens are fabulous, and there's a lot of information of insect management that rarely gets much play in other garden books.
I really can't say enough good things. If you're just starting out and looking for a...more
I really can't say enough good things. If you're just starting out and looking for a...more
So, my newest interest is gardening and I had a great friend give me this book for Christmas. I read it cover to cover and I can hardly wait to start growing. The subtitle reads: A companion-planting system for a beautiful, chemical-free vegetable garden. I can't say that I come down very clearly on chemical/organic issues, but this book has me excited to try a chemical free garden. Even better this book gave clear instructions on how to start gardening -- you know, with step by step instruction...more
One of the first books I read on gardening, and still one of my favorites! I still refer back to this periodically in case I need some inspiration on what might benefit from being planted side-by-side with another veggie. No guarantees that companion gardening will actually work, but I personally feel it does help!
Oh, and like many other veggie gardening books, you'll find this book also has a large section describing each of the veggies you might want to grow. That's one downside to reading lot...more
Oh, and like many other veggie gardening books, you'll find this book also has a large section describing each of the veggies you might want to grow. That's one downside to reading lot...more
Finally someone who (at least claims to have) based her plant companions on scientific research. Her groupings are easy to apply to gardens big and small and beautiful to boot with their mixture of veggies and flowers. Aesthetics and science are the two things I usually miss when reading about companion planting; they aren't absent here!
An interesting approach to gardening by using the combination of certain plants to benefit the health and growth of others in that family of plants. Having a very small area, I am willing to do some experimenting to see if this works.
This is great! This book details a very easy, straight forward way to combine foods, herbs, and flowers in the garden. Cunningham is obviously in love with the miracle of gardening and shares her joys and success on every page. And it's so easy to apply! I am now burning to get out in my garden and scatter some seeds, plant some seedlings, and otherwise get dirty.
Cunningham provides other basics -
*Easy (non--digging) garden bed building
*Easy over winter compost
*Easy pest control
and more and mo...more
Cunningham provides other basics -
*Easy (non--digging) garden bed building
*Easy over winter compost
*Easy pest control
and more and mo...more
The emphasis of this book is attracting beneficial insects to your garden, and the author does an excellent job of explaining exactly how to do it.
An inspirational book.
An inspirational book.
A very useful and clear book about vegetable plant rotation and beneficial combinations. I think I'll have go go and buy this book.
The writing is fairly cheesy, but the book is well-organized and informative. I particularly liked the author's garden designs.
I've read quite a few organic vegetable gardening books over the years, and this is by far the best. Highly recommended.
A lovely book that is full of interesting information, tips, sketches, and more. Of the 5 gardening books I've read this spring this book was my favorite.
Excellent book on companion planting. One of my favorite gardening books that I refer to time and time again.
I really like the way she sets up and takes care of a garden. It makes a lot of sense to me.
Oct 29, 2008
Barbara
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
any organic gardener or anyone who wants to be.
Shelves:
gardening
This is one of my most-used gardening books. It organizes companion plants by plant neighborhoods and then gives advice for how to grow plants in each neighborhood. It covers making raised beds, crop rotation, soil, attracting beneficial insects and birds, garden design, dealing with pests, and just about anything else you'd want to know about growing a chemical-free vegetable and herb garden with a few flower companions thrown in for good measure. I take this book to the garden with me when I'm...more
Well-organized, practical information on growing organic veggies.
I'm only an amateur gardener, but for me this book has been indispensable.
A great guide to organic gardening via companion planting!
I have basil, gazania and four o-clocks next to my carrots, tomatoes and corn. Let's see how I do! I enjoyed the book a lot. It definitely got me excited to garden!
I'll be using certain sections of this book everytime I plan my spring and fall gardens.
This book is with me in the garden every year. I pull it out in the late winter and use it to help decide my garden plan, and it stays with me as a reference throughout the gardening season.
Super helpful, took lots of notes.
I liked the Vegetable Gardeners Bible better...I thought it was laid out better and had very similar information.
This is a great book to get you started vegetable gardening organically. The emphasis is on companion gardening which means pairing your vegetables with other plants (flowers, herbs) that are beneficial. Also valuable is you are interested in raised bed gardening. WARNING: Don't expect your garden to look like 'Better Homes and Gardens'. Weeds are welcome here.
This is a really good book for gardeners who are concerned about using pesticides or whatnot on their food. Companion gardening as it pertains to plants of all sorts and bugs and some diseases. Super-helpful in planning combinations. Have to take into account that the author lives in New England, not Texas.
May 18, 2008
Corrie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
gardeners
Recommended to Corrie by:
Alisha
Shelves:
gardening
I really enjyed this book and learning more about what plants help each other grow and fend off pests. We are looking ot have chemimcal free garden - even if we have to hand pick a few critters on the way.
Dec 09, 2007
Jeremy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
vegetable, herb and flower gardeners
Shelves:
always-reading
This is one of my main resources during the growing season. I used this book a couple seasons ago to help me start our family garden. It is very accessible, informative and well organized.
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