Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening

There are also gross inaccuracies in the text, for example the author states that dandelions are not in competition with the grass in your lawn because they take nutrients from a different level of the soil. The illustration clearly contradicts the assertion and anyway the author has omitted to mention that the dandelion kills off grass by excluding light.

That the book is aimed at americans is mostly okay for me as what is grown in Britain is usually grown somewhere in America. However, the american bias means that, under 'pest control' you are told how to cope with raccoons and the odd praying mantis but not about how to stop foxes leaving heaps of dung and digging up your plot.


An indespensible tool for the beginner to the expert.   August 21, 1999
 8 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is a lovely book, filled with diagrams and charts. The nature of companion benefit or detriment is clearly and thoroughly examined in the first half of the book, while the second half demonstrates how to best plan for a garden even if you have no more than a small window. The children's garden and postage stamp garden plans deserve special mention.


Easy to understand for beginner gardeners!   May 28, 1999
 17 out of 19 found this review helpful

I love this book. Ms. Riotte has answered many questions I have had. Nicely written for those just beginning there journey into gardening. She even devotes a section solely to poisonous plants which is very interesting! Ms. Riotte breaks the chapters down as follows: Vegetables; Herbs; Wild Plants; Grasses, Grains, and Field Crops; First Steps for Home Fruit Growing; Nuts; Ornamental Trees and Shrubs; Garden Techniques; Soil Improvement; Pest Control;Poisonous Plants; Garden Plans; Sources; Suggested Reading. I like the fact that things are crossed referenced, so while it is a good read, you can also use it as a manual. The only thing I thought could be improved upon in the book was the drawings of the garden plans. They look as though someone drew them on a piece of paper and then photocopied them into the book. They are legible but hard to read. Luckily in writing they explain what they are drawing.


A terrific gardening resource!   June 26, 1998
 14 out of 16 found this review helpful

I have Louise Riotte's first book "Roses Love Garlic", and consider this one the better of the two. I have never considered myself an organic gardener, but this book makes it easier to give it a try. Riotte lists many of the more common plants, flowers and herbs in categories, along with many of the pests that find them tasty treats. I have used her book as a guide in planning my garden this year, and so far it has been very successful. The most difficulty I experienced was in setting up my garden and flower beds, trying to remember what plants and herbs would not do well next to each other. Like many other gardeners, I already had perennials within my garden. I had to figure out how to work around, or where to transplant them for maximum benefit. She does give several garden plans (small, herb, handicapped, etc), so they can be used as checkpoints and guides for putting in your own garden. An excellent reference to add to your gardening books.