Companion Planting: Bob's Basics

by Bob Flowerdew

According to Flowerdew, the key to successful organic gardening is working with nature, rather than against it, to get your plants to thrive. This practice is called companion planting, and it is explained in this volume with a style that is both no-nonsense and reader-friendly. Topics range from plants that compete for nutrients to plants that enrich their soil for future crops. Gardeners of all levels will learn from Companion Planting and their gardens will benefit from happy and healthy plants.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Horticulture, Plants

112 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 2011

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonfiction-- gardening. This book was helpful because it explained the why of companion planting. He gives examples of some plants that attract pests from other plants, of plants that compete for nutrients, and of plants that add or take nutrients from the soil. The text is a bit dense at times but is very thorough, touching not only on vegetables, but also herbs, fruit, and flowers. The appendices were the most helpful but sometimes contradicted themselves. I would recommend double-checking another source when faced with those contradictions.

[Mariliis Kannukene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Väga vajalik raamat igale aednikule kes soovib, et tema taimed kasvaksid tugevaks, kahjuritele vähem atraktiivseteks ning oleks ka saagikad.

Minu iga-kevadine abimees peenardele külvide planeerimisel.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info, some detail, little disorganized

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am trying to move beyond the basic row and single-plant method of gardening to mix and integrate different plants together for beneficial purposes. I saw this book listed in one of the many seed and garden supply catalogs I get, so picked it up.

I really enjoyed Flowerdew's style of writing. He offers a historical understanding of plant interactions (or lack thereof due to geographic limitations, and how human intervention has allowed plants to become "companions"), as well as a basic narrative of how plants interact with each other. His style is accessible to anyone regardless of background and skill level in terms of gardening or familiarity with different plants.

At the end he also includes many appendices which list the positive or negative impacts of grouping different plants together.

This book is enjoyable to read, but useful as a reference book as well. I recommend it for any gardener.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not all of this is new information for me, but it makes a nice, simple, concise way of accessing the information, and it has more specific interactions than other books I have or that I've read. I will be using this in the coming months to help more with my garden choices. The appendices in the back are quite useful for quick reference when I'm trying to plan things out. Also, it's just a lovely book.

[Carrie LeAnne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book rambled and repeated information a good bit. I did take a few notes, so it wasn't a total loss.

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short but meandering read, could have been clearer.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! I learned so much. I think it would be a good reference book to have around.