Author Archives: Steve Jones

Companion Planting Flowers

Nothing looks nicer than a well balanced, colourful garden display and to achieve this effect you need to understand something about plants. You have to know how plants inter act with each other. What you have to know is how companion planting flowers works. All plants need certain conditions to grow successfully and getting this right will greatly enhance your display. By understanding the various needs of each plant will help you to position it in the correct conditions to maximise growth. That said, not all growth is good, for example if you want a show of flowers and your… → Read More

Herbs As Companion Plants

Herbs are one of the most used plants in the kitchen, and everyone has their own favourite herb. Did you know that using herbs as companion plants not only look good in your garden, but also benefit your other plants as well. think of the luscious aromas of summer, thyme, lavender, basil, oregano, Marjory, sage… I could go on forever. All of the herbs below will benefit your garden as well as your table. It’s time to get into the wonderful world of companion planting herbs. What Is Companion Planting? Companion planting is a system of growing plants together to… → Read More

Marigold Companion Planting

The pretty little marigold with it’s flowers ranging from yellow, through orange, to red, is a welcome sight in any garden. Flowering from Spring and continuing to flower until the first frosts (as long as you deadhead) this annual is a good value, beneficial, cheerful plant. By planting the marigold in companion with other plants you will have a healthier and prettier garden. What Are Marigolds? There are 2 different types of marigold grown in the UK, 3 if you include the “pot marigold”(calendula). The calendula is not really a marigold at all but is still a beneficial plant to… → Read More

How To Get Rid Of Ants Naturally

Ants are fascinating creatures, They can carry 20 times their own body weight, They farm other insects for food and they are excellent trackers. Unfortunately they can be considered to be pests to us humans. As an organic gardener, I try to keep away from chemicals so let’s get into how to get rid of ants naturally. One of the best reasons I can think of to keep ants away from your garden is that they actively introduce, and protect aphids onto your plants. Aphids produce as a waste product a sweet sticky substance called honey dew and ants feed… → Read More

Facts About Slugs

Slugs are the most common garden pest and the most prolific. Read on for interesting information and facts about slugs. This can be used to form a strategy for dealing with the problem. What Are Slugs? Members of the Gastropod family, slugs are the second biggest family on this planet. The name gastropod literally means stomach foot and describes them to a tee. Slugs are closely related to snails, they are snails without shells. Whilst snails hibernate in winter, slugs are active at all temperatures above 5 degrees C (41 F). Their original habitat was underwater but have evolved to… → Read More

How To Get Rid Of Slugs Naturally

The bane of the gardeners life, slugs come in many sizes and colours but all with the same intent, to feed on your plants. There are many articles about the many ways to kill slugs, some conventional and others quite frankly weird. But the organic gardener needs to find out how to get rid of slugs naturally. Natural Slug Repellent There are many slug repellents but by choosing not to use harmful chemicals, you will protect the soil, the environment, and the wildlife. Below are the 30 best methods on how to get rid of slugs naturally. Method #1 Using… → Read More

How To Get Rid Of Aphids Naturally [9 Organic Methods]

Every gardener will have come into contact with aphids at one time or another, and we all have tips and tricks to deal with them. This post is how to get rid of aphids naturally and as the title suggests, that means organically, without chemicals. I will touch on chemical methods later on in the post, but let’s start with the natural ways first. Method #1: fingers At the first sign of aphid infestation, you need to take action and if the infestation is mild this method will work. Just gently rub your thumb and forefinger against the aphids and… → Read More

Plants That Repel Aphids [Top Plants To Get Rid Of Aphids]

There are many plants that repel aphids and in recent years there has been much scientific research into this subject, the NCBI, the National Centre for Biotechnology Information in the U S A (see link below) is just one source of new information. Their research is quite in depth but It all comes down to observing nature and applying what you see to your own plot. So the following is all about plants that repel aphids but could easily be titled… Companion Plants. According to the NCBI plants repel aphids by :- Disguising the aroma of the host plant Changing… → Read More

Companion Planting Tomatoes

There is nothing better than a freshly grown, warm, sweet tomato straight from the vine. The flavour of home grown tomatoes surpasses shop bought, commercially grown tomatoes by far. By companion planting tomatoes with other beneficial plants you will not only improve the taste, but also the health of your tomato plants. Tomatoes originate in hot climates so if like me, you’re in an area prone to frosts then you will have to treat this perennial plant as an annual. It also stands to reason that the majority of companion plants for tomatoes also originate in hot countries. That doesn’t… → Read More

What Not To Plant With Tomatoes

Companion planting is all about what plants to grow together to enhance the health and yield of your crops. There are many plants that help tomatoes when grown together but this post is not what to plant, but what not to plant with tomatoes. Many secrets have been learned and lost throughout the years, it’s my aim to gather as many as possible and to help growers improve their crops organically. What Not To plant With Tomatoes. The first one is pretty obvious if you think about it, but I’ll include it as I want to be as concise as… → Read More