Vegetables Love Flowers: Companion Planting for Beauty and Bounty

by Lisa Mason Ziegler

Fight garden pests and increase your yields the natural way with this tried and true technique!

Planting vegetables and flowers together is one of the oldest ways to create a healthy, bountiful garden, but there's more to the method than you might think. Vegetables Love Flowers will walk you through the ins and outs of companion planting, from how it works to which plants go together and how to grow the best garden for your climate. 

With the right information and some careful planning, you can help your plants thrive--and beautify your garden in the process.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Nature, Reference, Plants, Green

176 pages, Paperback

Published March 27, 2018

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the title, I expected a lot more "vegetable" in this book - it was mostly about growing cut flowers. I hoped for more on companion planting, like what specific flowers contribute to vegetable gardens, other than inviting pollinators (for example, do certain varieties contribute nutrients that help certain vegetables thrive? Are there certain flowers that should NOT be planted next to certain vegetables?) I did really like the plethora of information on beneficial insects and other wildlife in the garden, and plan to implement a few of those ideas. Maybe the title should've been closer to what exactly the book is about.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Either the title of this book is a little misleading or I really only focused on the parts that were new to me because when I think back over what I read all I can think about is flowers. Did this book talk about vegetable gardening? I'm not sure.

I DID learn more about growing flowers though, and the author, who owns a flower farm was very knowledgable (it was also interesting to learn about how she came to it and how she runs her business.) As always, this gardening book also has a good reference section of flowers where you can look up specific varieties that you want to learn about. I found it very helpful to learn the best way to harvest each variety for longest vase life.

[Renee(Reneesramblings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vegetables Love Flowers was an eye-opening book. Every year I start my vegetables indoors under lights and I do grow flowers, but never really paid attention to the amount, varieties and placement in the garden. The author provides a very informative overview of her own experiences growing flowers and vegetables and I wish I was her neighbor because the pictures of her gardens are gorgeous. I have always planted flowers and herbs to encourage bees to visit, but have spent little time thinking about and planting a garden that would also attract beneficial insects.
The book is divided into four sections: Flowers in the Vegetable Garden, Plants by Season, Heroes of the Garden and Growing a Healthy Garden. In addition, there is a Resource Section featuring recommended links for resources and supplies that the author uses. If I could only take one thing away in terms of a resource, I have no doubt it would be my exposure to soil block makers(Hello, have I had my head buried in compost all these years to have not heard of this tool). I am so excited to try this next year and hope to have even better transplants.
There wasn't a single chapter that I didn't learn something and I have started additional flats of flowers to plant in the garden this year. Next year, I will be following several of the included garden plans and I think I will be on my way to a much healthier and more productive garden. A great resource that I would recommend to anyone who loves to garden.
Thank you, Lisa Mason Ziegler, Quarto Publishing Group-Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool Springs Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Vegetables Love Flowers. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion was freely given.

With beautiful accompanying photographs and clear, concise instructions, Vegetables Love Flowers is the perfect book for those who desire to have a companion garden of their very own. Teaching how best to mix flowers and vegetables, how to attract beneficial insects, how to plant seasonally to maximize your yield, and how to tend to the garden, author Lisa Mason Ziegler shows examples from her own garden to inspire newcomers to the ideas contained within the pages of the book. With helpful planting guides located in the appendix, readers can take what they have learned and apply it to their own gardens.

As a successful cutting garden professional, the author has great knowledge about insects and how their presence can lead to more healthy and beautiful blooms. She has applied this knowledge to companion gardening and gives readers the confidence to start their own. I highly recommend Vegetables Love Flowers as a coffee table book, as an inspirational guide, or as a gift for someone who is either a gardener or aspires to be.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in the south and in the country I have always seen vegetable gardens with some flowering plants mixed in. I never really thought about why. Now I know. Did you know that certain flowering plants can keep bugs off your fruits and vegetables? By mixing a few flowers in with your garden you can keep a lot of chemical treatments out of your food by letting the plants get rid of the bugs and even the animals who want to munch on your other plants.

The book is filled with some awesome pictures of the the Authors own garden showing the placements of the flowering plants among the food bearing plants. She goes in depth on how these flowering plants rid your garden of the pests. Certain plants help with certain bugs so you want to make sure to have those flowering plants next to the fruit or vegetable instead of across the garden from them.

The author also talks a lot about her cut flower buisness and how she is having the best of both worlds. This books is great for me I live in Florida where there are some of the craziest bugs you have ever seen. Maybe this year and the years to come my garden will be a lot healthier and will produce more and be beautiful all at the same time.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

[Bobbie Kirkland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of Vegetables Love Flowers by Lisa Mason Ziegler in exchange for an honest review. This work contains many beautiful photographs. The subject matter generally promotes the growing of flowers in your vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects to pollinate blooms and to prey on harmful insects. The author also suggests techniques for attracting birds to keep harmful insect populations down and for keeping the birds from causing harm to your garden. The book provides further advice on how to create habitats attractive to reptiles. The author further emphasizes timely planting, mulching, and using protective coverings. This book does not discuss the insecticide properties of specific plants.

It is a beautiful, easily readable book with what appears to be sound advice.

#VegetablesLoveFlowers #NetGalley

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Brilliant! Vegetables Love Flowersby Lisa Mason Ziegler is. I found this wonderful book Just beautiful. friendly, very inspiring, well illustrated with so much information throughout it. The photo's were just amazing. Especially the dog Beri's photos.
This book is a must for any gardener or new gardener. Especially, for home gardeners and flower growers!!

I just loved this book I had to go and order this book from Amazon.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press for letting me review this wonderful book.
Big fat 5 Stars from me. 10/10 book xx

Review on Amazon UK, My Goodreads page and Facebook x

[Jonesy.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Mason Ziegler's "Vegetables Love Flowers' is an excellent read for anyone interested in cultivating their own veggies or flowers. Filled from cover to cover with beautiful photography that allows the reader to easily visualize how Lisa's tips and tricks will in their own gardens. Although I've been flower gardening for a few years I still found many little tidbits I has not previously bee aware of, such as how the distance between sunflower plants determines the size of their blooms. I really love the emphasis on staying away from pesticides. Its incredibly important to learn how to grow successfully using nature to nurture. This is my first year adding praying mantises to my property in order to control the aphid population. In combination with the info from this lovely book I hope to have my most successful growing season yet!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book on the balance to be tipped in your favor growing vegetables alongside flowers. Very good tips on the timing and planting of your garden to help negate the need for harmful pesticides. Since most of us are clear on the benefits of organically growing foods but maybe unsure how, this is a helpful guide for just that benefit alone. As a bonus you will get time learned tips and guides to incorporating not only flowers that will provide beautiful bouquets for your home, but living with nature and encouraging it to help you in your garden. More than the title reflects, and worth a read.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book for the learning gardener.
It's packed with gorgeous pictures, complete descriptions of the flowers and planting tips,
There is the science of the compost heap, you just can't toss anything in there, addresses pests and weeds and lists the best companion plants, certain flowers do much more than attract bees.
I requested an ARC copy from NetGalley to review.

[Polly Krize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a good explanation of the companion planting of certain vegetables and flowers, which provides a deterrent against many of the scourges of our gardens, those pesky bugs nibbling, nibbling, nibbling...! Valuable information enclosed in a beautiful book.

[Monica Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about incorporating many flowers both cool hardy annuals and tender annuals into your garden along with the benefits of each. But it doesn’t stop there! Many different bugs, birds, and other creatures were also touched on and details were given on what they can offer a garden in terms of creating a thriving ecosystem. This book encouraged me to leave the bugs and let nature do it’s thing.

[Laurla2 · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is NOT a vegetable gardening book.

this is purely a book about flowers. this is not about companion planting. its not about what flowers go good with what vegetables. its just "hey flowers help with your vegetables so heres some info about flowers". i was disappointed and felt misled by the title. theres no interplanting or planting for the benefit of certain vegetables. its just "plant a big plot of flowers all together" to lure in the pollinators.

--notes for myself:
- bachelor buttons for first blooms in spring to feed bees and bugs.
- mexican bush sage - leucantha to feed fall bumblebees
- when 50% of seeds have sprouted, remove them from the heating mat.

[Margret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the journey through her garden and the mindset shift as she realized the flowers not only provided beauty but they helped heal her garden as they invited nature to take care of the pests and problems. Her thesis is that we haven’t given flowers a chance within our “productive” vegetable gardens because they have less use. But that they are useful for far more than a pretty table decoration. And if we use them with some of her principles that we will find them doing far more than we could imagine. For me, this was a mindset book with enough principles to give a beginner confidence to try something and an experienced gardener a push to allow new ideas of garden pest management a chance. She gives suggestions but it is not a textbook and if you are looking for a textbook then look elsewhere. I found the tone engaging and learned a lot.

Personal note: I especially enjoyed some of the introspection inspired by her philosophy on harvesting and wondered in my own life what I could “harvest” more consistently in order to produce greater abundance. Finding joy in the garden is as important as producing. What “flowers” can I add to my life to spark joy that I’m not giving a chance in the business of constant production?

Favorite quotes:

“Because I planted flowers on such a grand scale, it was impossible not to notice all the good things the flowers were bringing to the table. It felt as though nature hit me right between the eyes with all it had to offer. I had expected a harvest of beautiful blossoms but never dreamed they were also the key to healing my garden, bringing in entertainment, and making gardening easier! The garden grew with less help from me with each passing season.”

“There is so much good that starts to happen in the garden when you go all natural and add flowers. It helps the garden spark even more joy, and it spreads the joy by way of the beautiful cut flowers. It is the “cutting” in the cutting garden that keeps the flowers producing. The flowers then attract the good things we want and need in the garden. Behind the scenes of those flowers, a world unfolds that few are aware of. It is fascinating, beneficial, and useful, just the way a garden was meant to be.”

“The secret to abundance in the flower garden, the vegetable garden, and the herb garden is the same—harvest often and you will be rewarded.”

“What works in my garden may not work in yours, but the overall mindset to tackle problems in the garden in a new way remains the same. Set the garden up to succeed, be patient, and know that it is possible.
The root of the solution is preventing problems.”

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vegetables love Flowers is a delightful book on growing flowers alongside vegetables not just for show but for the benefits they have on reducing insects (the pesky ones that nibble your vegetables as they grow), with insects that love flowers but in turn eat those pesky insects destroying your hard work!

The book explains very well the benefits for doing this and goes through the author's path in using this method and which flowers she recommends to grow.  There are four sections in this book which covers Flowers in the Vegetable Garden, Plants by Season, Heroes of the Garden and Growing a Healthy Garden.

Flowers in the Vegetable Garden explains why to grow the flowers alongside the vegetables, where to plant them and cutting the flower: growing the flowers has two purposes, one to help the vegetables and two to bring the flowers into your home which in turn encourages the flowers to flower again in your garden, providing more insect habitats.

Plants by Season covers how to grow warm season tender and cool season hardy annuals, and which vegetables are good to grow in the same season.  Each flower listed gives details on how to grow the plant and which insect is attracted to it, plus tips on when to cut the flowers and how.  Whilst it says grow certain flowers in the autumn or spring time, I would have found it more useful to have the exact months to get planting, just like they do on seed packets as its a rather broad timeline otherwise.

Heroes of the Garden shows which insects are pollinators and how to build a Creature Hotel. It also explains which are beneficial predators to your garden, including snakes! 

To complete the book Growing a Healthy Garden and an Appendix with vegetable/flower plans to follow are explained. It explains the best place to locate your garden, soil, pathways, growing seeds (inside and outside) and how to deal with some pests that might have snuck in not using pesticides. It also explains the importance of having water for birds how to make leaf compost and having log piles for the insects to inhabit. The bed plans cover the four seasons for both vegetables and flowers. There are six bed plans for those with bigger plots plus one for the city gardener.

Throughout the book there is wonderful colour photography of insects and flowers.

After reading this book I certainly will be setting up a bed of flowers in my garden in the future in a place I'd not considered before.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

[Patch405 (Shannon Barghols) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more elaborate review has been posted on my blog: https://patch405.com/2018/06/25/book-...

I must admit that I like pretty books. I want to flip through the pages and feast with my eyes. If I like what I see then I am inclined to read. Bob Schamerhorn was the photographer for this book. His photographs are gorgeous. So gorgeous are the photos that I may have purchased the book without even reviewing the content. But, oh I am so happy that I read the book as well! It is actually full of useful information. If someone from the publisher is reading this review, please know that I would really love a hardcopy of the book! (hint, hint!)

One of the interesting things about the book is the overall design/flow. I didn’t realize it until I was looking at it later, but basically Ziegler hooks you at the beginning of the book with all the reasons to add flowers to your vegetable garden, and then at the end of the book she gives you detailed instructions on exactly how to add the flowers. If she bogged down the beginning of the book with such detail, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much. I applaud the approach.

What I like most is Zeigler’s specifics. Her instructions are incredibly precise. She doesn’t gloss over any aspect of the process – from preparing the soil, to spacing, to harvesting. She devotes entire chapters to flower choices for each season, detailing how to sow the seed, how much sun is needed, height, spacing, and what pollinators to expect. And, as I mentioned before, the accompanying photos are terrific.

She continues providing specifics in her chapter on the pollinators, expanding past the typical bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. She provides great (and specific) advice on how to provide for and protect habitats for pollinators. She devotes another chapter to ‘beneficial predators’ such as birds, frogs, and spiders.

Beyond that, Zeigler covers the topics of irrigation, row covers, weeds, compost, cover crops, perches, rock piles, and native plants. I’m telling you that she packs a ton of very useful information into 179 pages!

I am pretty sure that I will maintain vegetables as my primary focus. However, Zeigler’s book has convinced me of the need to adjust my approach to flowers (and gardening in general). I know I will find myself turning to her book time and time again.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Lisa Mason Ziegler with The Gardners Workshop is a home gardener and cut flower farmer. She starts this book off by introducing readers to the idea of growing flowers in your vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects and increase yields.

Timely planting is discussed and there is an excellent section on mulching and weed prevention in general. It also goes on to talk about fertilizing and the use of compost and what it contains.

The benefits of having beneficial creatures in the garden are discussed in detail in this book. Ladybug larva will eat the harmful insects, like aphids. Spiders and wasp also feed on harmful insects, while other flying insects aid in pollinating blooms. Bird feeders and bushes will attract birds that are good at preying on harmful insects too.

We use protective coverings when there is a danger of frost and we've already planted. But this read also goes into detail about row covers and the use of hoop houses.

We have beds of hosta and last year the slugs were strong invaders, so, one thing I might try this year is the authors trap for slugs and snails.

New to me was the section on creating habitats for many reptiles. We have frogs around here that hang out in our small garden pond. But it has been years since we've seen any snakes in the garden.

Overall, I felt this book was a quick and easy read. The thing I most enjoyed was the depth of detail about companion planting and the vivid images that went along with it.

I reviewed for Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and Net Galley.

[Shauna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one of my favorite gardening books I have read. Ziegler provides ample detailed information and advice on growing flowers in your vegetable garden or growing flowers in general. I cannot think of anything she did not cover in this book. Session planting, seasonal planting, flower and crop pairings, how to make your first and following cuts to cut flowers, how to keep them the longest after cutting, watering, starting seedlings, and more. She also goes into great detail about crediting a natural ecosystem in your garden's soil and your entire yard by providing ways to support the beneficial birds, snakes, bees, and other creatures that inhabit your environment. She teaches is 100% organic and low cost and supplies reasons, all first-hand knowledge, for each suggestion. I easily read this cover to cover in a few days because of her writing being personal (rather than dry) and the book layout designed beautifully. This book really focuses on cut flowers and does not go into details on growing crops/vegetables besides mentioning a few companion painting ideas and what to plant seasonally. I would pick up an additional book on growing crops if you're looking for that information.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I really, really liked this book. I read the library's copy and will be buying it for my home gardening reference library. Only a couple of nitpicks. While I understand that this was her premise, the complete focus on cut flowers was a little much for me at times. I will be adapting her methods to something more all encompassing, but that's just b/c I have my own goals and dreams for my yard/garden in mind. If someone who wasn't familiar with a garden ecosystem and supporting beneficials through the use of flowers, then this would be a great way to get started -- I just wonder if they would feel limited by only using cut flowers. But only using cut flowers is better than no flowers so this is kinda a silly critique. She references the native planting areas around her gardens; I wish she would have talked more about those, what are in them, and how they are maintained (but again, not the focus of the book). Finally, more detail on her seed starting process would have been helpful.
Those are minor compared to everything this book does give. It's a great understanding of how to use the power of nature to prevent and control issues in your garden. I'd recommend.

[Jaci Millette Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library because I was interested in integrating my vegetable plants into my already landscaped gardens. I have a lot of perennials like alliums, daffodils, and daisies and decorative bushes like rhododendron and the internet was providing me with conflicting info on how safe and successful, for example, daffodils and tomatoes do when planted together. This book’s title was deceptive in that I was led to believe it would be about companion planting ideas and maximizing space when creating a potager garden. Organic annual cut flower farming was actually the subject of this book and readers would benefit from a more appropriate title. Nonetheless, I did learn a lot about annual flowers and I am a lot more open to them than I was before. I would like to get some nice big purple zinnias for next year! I will also now be more confident in my cuts when harvesting— I always fear they won’t grow back so I cut them higher than I should. I also learned about the role of many insects in the garden and reading this was a step closer toward getting over my aversion to many creepy species.

[Ashley Thoreson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, everyone needs to know THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT VEGETABLES. It is mostly about growing flowers for a cut flower business.

The tips on seed starting, growing, and harvesting were very helpful in planning my garden. Seed starting includes preferred temperature for germination, which seeds need light to germinate and which need darkness, starting in soil blocks vs trays, and when to transplant outside.

Growing tips talk about common diseases and pests, what support is needed, and when to fertilize.

Harvesting tips are what stage to harvest at, and how to prolong vase life. Lisa also includes her favorite varieties of flowers here.

The sections on attracting pollinators and predators was nice because this topic is usually overlooked. You'll see how to build houses for bees, how to attract snakes and predator birds, and what predator bugs are helpful in the garden.

At the end, she includes interplanted garden beds. Lisa has been a flower farmer for over 20 years, she has a wealth of knowledge and I'm so happy she decided to share it with us.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be aware the focus of this book is about including flowers, especially cut flowers, in the garden and landscape and not so much about vegetables. Those aware of Lisa Ziegler’s website and desire to help the flower growing and farming community will understand, though I noticed some reviews were disappointed the book didn’t cover more about vegetable gardening.

I appreciated the book’s narrow focus and easy to read format. Gratefully, Lisa shares the lessons she’s learned along her journey as a cut flower farmer. This book won’t answer every question you have about cut flower gardening, but it gives a good, basic foundation. More information can be found on her website and podcasts. This is one of those books that I’m glad I have a physical copy of so I can mark pages, thumb through pictures, and add garden journal notes/experiment dates in the margin.

There are so many gardening books and encyclopedic volumes about the thousands of plant varieties available. This book offers a closet look and a well curated collection of flowers.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vegetables Love Flowers by Lisa Mason Ziegler
Companion Planting for Beauly and Bounty

March 2018
Nonfiction, gardening
Quarto Publishing

I received this digital ARC from Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is an organized and beautifully illustrated book sharing the authors experience with growing plants and flowers together. Some of the benefits of companion planting included less work to allow the natural growing process to take over. The author does caution that this solution to pests and gardening problems will not resolve issues overnight.

She explains how companion planting of flowers and vegetables can assist with many of difficulties gardeners have when attempting to grow organically. The use of beneficial insects which are attracted to specific flowers become a preventative force to the insects which thrive on garden vegetables. It’s the forethought and planning which helps preventative maintenance for a healthy garden.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about the benefits of adding flowers to your vegetable garden. Some examples of the benefits are that they encourage pollinators to your garden and can help with eliminating pests. The author has a very large cutting garden and garden, much bigger than will fit in the space we have in our yard, but some of her tips were quite helpful. The book is split into four sections; "Flowers in the Vegetable Garden" (some basic information and practical guidance), "Plants by Season" (describing various annuals, when, and how they grow), "Heroes of the Garden" (detailing pollinators and beneficial predators), and "Growing a Healthy Garden" (lots of practical tips). Not only was this book well-written and informative, but it also included lots of beautiful pictures.

A friend and fellow gardener recommended this book to me and I too recommend it to flower and vegetable garden lovers.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author details a different approach to companion planting than many others offer. Instead of listings of plants that are good companions for particular vegetables, she suggests a more comprehensive approach to plantings over the seasons including flower beds for cutting among rows of vegetables. A wonderful selection of colorful photos add to the appeal of this book. Not only does the author describe how to successfully plant cuuting flowers, she gives dtailed advice on how to harvest and arrange them.

For gardeners in warmer climates than our zone 5a, this book would provide great inspiration for increasing garden variety and yield with succession planting over the course of a long growing season.

[Amy T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my new favorite gardening book! This summer I am putting in a cutting garden, and this is one of a handful books I found at the library on the topic. According to the subtitle, you might think it says to plant marigolds next to your tomatoes, but instead it talks more generally about how having flowers draws beneficial insects, birds, etc to the garden, which helps control pests. Then it goes into detail about how to plant and maintain a cutting garden, which is exactly the information I was seeking! Bonus that the author grows everything without chemicals and gives some very useful tips on dealing with weeds and pests. The author also is very unintimidating and looks like she could be your best friend’s mom. This book will become a part of my permanent collection. 🦋🕸🐞🌸🌼🌻🌞💦🍅🥕🥬

[Ali Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really so helpful for a budding gardner like myself. I would have liked to have more direction for vegetables, as the title suggests. I also was slightly disappointed that the book only offers suggestions for annual, cut-flower varieties. For a home gardener it would be great to have learned more about tending roses, hydrangeas and other typical garden plants.

Negatives aside, I absolutely loved the way the author offers insightful suggestions to let nature rule, as it should, with simple nudges in the right directions from the gardener. Pest-control, pollinators, weeds, soil care and garden planning- this book had me covered in those areas.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really great guide for adding flowers, specifically cut flowers, to your vegetable garden. I expected a book on companion planting and how to integrate flowers into your vegetable garden, but this isn't quite that. It is, however, a pretty good guide for expanding your gardening repertoire into using more flowers if you don't already. I think I might watch Half Price Books and see if I can buy this book because of the flower by flower entries that give instructions on propagation and management. There are also lots of good organic gardening ideas for attracting beneficial creatures and managing pests.

[Hari Raelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the relationship between vegetables and flowers, with an extensive section on cut flowers and how regular flower collecting can extend the growing season and encourage a more balanced eco-system within the garden. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to grow their own cut flowers at home. The sections on encouraging beneficial insects and animals to the garden, and making the most of waste materials were also very informative and well explained. I would have liked more about the relationship between certain types of vegetables and flowers, and how to plan beds to make the most of specific vegetable crops, but overall an excellent and well-laid out book.

[A.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not really about companion planting, but about implementing flowers into the vegetable garden because of the pollinators that they attract. It was a nice read, and while some of the information was repeated (probably for skimmers), I enjoyed learning about the proper time to plant cool season flowers. The author is located in the Southeast, like me, so all the advice was applicable to that area.
I'm excited to try her cool season tips! I've read extensively on native gardening so a lot of it I already knew but I enjoyed reading her take.
I also appreciated her bed diagrams at the back of the book.