Companion Planting

I love gardening, however...... gardening does not like me. I have all the gear, all the enthusiasm and all the desire to grow vegetables for my family. To be able to go outside and grab a zucchini, a tomato, some basil, a capsicum. To come inside with these minute old morsels and chop them up like an Italian goddess preparing the evening meal. 

But I can't. You see I just don't have the ability to grow anything really. I grow great kids!! I can't even grow lemons on a basic everyday lemon tree!! I've had a lemon tree for 5 years and I don't even get enough to make a jar of lemon curd if you please. I have asked my all male household to wizz on the tree, I've seen Bert's lemons from the movie 'The Worlds Fastest Indian', and I know why they are so good. My prudish family flatly refuse to. I wonder if that's because the tree is in the front yard?

Anyway.....I became all reared up again this spring. This was going to be the year of the vegetable. I decided that I was going to do this as inexpensively and as nature intended it. I was going to companion plant.

Amidst my extensive research, meshing, stacking (tell you about them later) web browsing I came across the best analogy of companion planting.

It is here that I will digress from the real garden of food and steer you onto the new garden I am really grateful for. This garden is going has companions which ward of pests, actually attract really cool 'insects', give other plants flavour, share the same growing area, intertwine as they reach for the heat of the sun. These companions are the company I keep. The woman who on a weekly basis I do life with, and want to do life with.

One of the best companion you can plant in the garden is the Marigold. I read that the marigold is a very useful plant. No, you can't eat it, but it does have a very dynamic role. It will deter and ward off so many different pests. The roots of the marigold produce a chemical that kills a virus (big name) as it enters the soil. The marigold does have a very bright coloured appearance, but it does smell awful. You can't pick it and put it in a vase. You can really only plant it and admire it for all its hidden qualities.

Ladies, we really truly need to take check of ourselves sometimes. We need marigold women in our life. Not that I am saying to get smelly girlfriends now!! There is a limit to our tolerance. However, we do need to take check of those who we companion plant with. Some are seasonal, some have a very specific purpose. Some are just fun and you love them. Some will feed you, some will protect you. Be grateful for them all. Yes, there will be weeds, toxic ones every now and then. Be mindful of these ones, and don't let them hang around. Pull them out as soon as you can.

Think about the woman you have in your world. Pray for them, appreciate them, thank them! And now think about who you are a companion plant for. What is your role in their life? Ask them sometime. Share this blog with them. If we are going to last this race called Life, then we need companions, we need women who will plus and not minus.

So, did I grow anything this year? The simple answer is no. Well, kind of. I have 4 tomato plants which are giving me the odd red delicious. However, I smell it, polish it, sit it on the ledge and let no one eat it!! My precious!! Then I get in my car and drive down to the local Fresh Food shop and buy all the produce I need. I return home, put them in vintage looking bowls, display them around the kitchen and just pretend that I really am the Bella Donna of gardening!!