Why Should I Think About Backyard Companion Planting?

Why Should I Think About Backyard Companion Planting?
By Moreo Monte

Your backyard is your space, but you share that space with nature! She shares it with you in reality, even though we think we have a hold over it, it is her that is involved in the delight of the garden. So when thinking about your "local" space, why not think how you can enhance it and work with nature to create a wonderful space to live in.

The reason for thinking about companion planting is to adjust how we view that space we have. There is a place for everything in our world, but sometimes we get a little carried away with trying to create a space with only one type of plant.

Gardening is not a battleground of you against nature - You will lose something EVERY TIME.

To think about this on a grand scale, you only need to go to a planted wood that will be used for timber or wood production. The wood is almost silent; nothing grows on the floor of the wood and animals only pass through but eat very little. The soil is turned acid and although the trees are green and tall, there is only one variety that the wildlife can live off and it isn't a healthy form of a diet. In comparison to us it would be the equivalent of only eating crisps every day. At one point we are not going to be too healthy or we will move to a better food source.

Your garden should be thought of in the same way. How does nature care for everything in your space? What can you do to "get along" with it? Gardening is not a battleground of you against nature - You will lose something EVERY TIME. In fact you may even be under the illusion that you are winning, but just test the theory by leaving your garden for a month! You will see who is in control!

It is time to begin companion planting. This is the manner in which you choose plants that work together in your space and how they help each other to be better plants. Think of it as if it was teamwork. Each contributing something to the overall feel of the space they all live in. It soon becomes plain to see how each helps the other improve.

I will draw your attention to the wilds around you. The open spaces, or the dilapidated houses and buildings you see. Nature is at work quite clearly, planting, and sowing her way to ensure a wonderful space. What looks like a jumbled mess is a carefully orchestrated planting process of species of plants working together to ensure the soil is maintained and that life continues. Variety begins to follow, small shrubs begin to grow and finally trees seem to stretch like fingers from the earth to the sky. In a magical way, nature plants in her way and continues to attend to it.

Start thinking about ways in which you can improve your yard and garden for a more harmonious plant balance and give insects variety to live off, give the birds more variety to feed and begin to create a mini balanced eco system right in your local area.

Companion planting is a joy to me and I want to share it with you. Head over to the blog at http://www.companionplantinggardendesign.com to find out more about companion planting and listen to the Planting Guy Podcast on how to work with nature in your "local" area.

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