Book Review: Plant Partners

by

Plant Partners by Jessica Walliser

BOOK REVIEW by Ann Guthals

Ever since reading Carrots Love Tomatoes about 50 years ago, I have had the idea of companion planting in the back of my mind every gardening year (I never did plant carrots near tomatoes that I can recall, though). Now I have read an incredibly useful book on this idea that goes beyond just pairing certain plants with others, that explains many strategies of plant partnership in a variety of ways, and that backs up almost every plan or suggestion by specific research references in the Bibliography.

In a well-organized, logical and readable format, the author lays out the benefits of companion planting in separate chapters with numerous illustrated practical examples of plant pairings which include how to achieve the partnerships. In addition, every idea and planting example is elegantly illustrated with lovely photographs.

The first chapter explains the current understanding of how plants influence each other and the overall garden environment and how this can be used to advantage. Chapters 2 through 8 cover specific gardening problems with several plant partnering solutions for each of these problems: soil conditioning, weed suppression, living trellises, pests, diseases, supporting pest-eating insects, and supporting pollinators.

I have earmarked many pages of suggested pairings to try next season such as beans/potatoes (more nitrogen for potatoes), mustard/summer squash (living mulch), zucchini/nasturtium (suppression of squash bugs), radishes/tomatoes (trap crop for flea beetles), mustard/potatoes (suppression of potato scab), and lettuce/sweet alyssum (aphid control).

An important result of implementing the ideas in this book will be to increase the diversity and, hence, stability and health of the garden. The resulting diverse mix, which includes an increase in non-plant garden inhabitants, will more closely mimic nature and hopefully result in greater sustainability. A non-scientific result is a more beautiful and pleasing garden than a monoculture creates.

There is such a wealth of garden information in this book that I plan to both read it again and keep it as a reference on my garden bookshelf.