Companion Planting: Let your garden work for you April 5, 2012
Let’s face it. We as a culture are busy, often overworked and
pulled in too many directions. But on top of this, we are faced
with the need to become more sustainable, waste less, produce
more local food and keep pesticide and fertilizers to a minimum.
Thankfully these two problems are not mutually exclusive and
this conundrum can be solved with efficient, integrated
gardening and farming methods. When we look at our plants as
part of a whole, we are able to create thriving mini-ecosystems
that have beneficial interrelationships. The more we mimic
Earth’s natural processes, the less we need to work at it. For
example, companion planting is a fabulous way to maximize your
garden time, space and material purchases. Why you may ask? John
Jenson defines companion planting as the constructive use of
plant and habitat interrelationships — from your trees to your
nutrients to your insects to your plants. In most cases, a plant
can have a positive or adve