Clover might be good as would many other legumes. Buckwheat is supposed to attract beneficials. What about sunflowers! They attract beneficials and pollinators. Also feed the birds as well as squirles. Many herbs also attract beneficials. Bees seem to love the basil. Carrots take a long time so if there is a little water, you could come back to find carrots in the fall and if they were to go to flower, the good bugs love em. Radishes can help add organic matter to the soil if you leave them to rot. They may also be deterrent to some squash pests. Lots of annual flowers or even an annual wildflower mix might be great if you are starting from a relatively weed free base. I like growing alyssum along with lots of veggies. Nasturtium would be a good choice in somewhat dry/poor neglected areas, when grown in with other plants they make good aphid traps crops. Marigolds, they are supposed to be great companion plants but I've read that they would actually be far more effective is grown as a cover crop and turned in to help deter some soil pests. I've also read a bit about using sesame plants as a cover crop against some pests. You are probably best off having a bit of variety so that if something fails there is still a chance that something else will work. You will probably want to use something that you can get inexpensively and easily. Check for local seed sources or someplace like Johhny's selected seeds usually has some cover crop mixes. I got several different seed bags from them to see what cover crops will work well here. I currently have beds of clover, oats, winter and spring wheat, buckwheat, and since I can various cool weather crops that are struggling with the almost 80 degree days we have had lately. Just be careful of perennial plants that are known to be aggressive (stuff like mint and yarrow are probably not a good idea where you want to plant a veggie garden again next season.) It is definitely a good idea to keep something happening in the garden even if you aren't actively cropping. If all else fails, bury that garden under lots of leaf or compost mulch for the season so the worms can have a party while you are away. Here is a link that might be useful: TCLynx Gardening

Gardnpondr, what GLOCK said. When you're using self-watering pots, the soil needs to be *very* light. AVs like constant moisture, but they also need air in their roots. The standard soil formula is 1 part peat or commercial AV soil, 1 part perlite, and 1 part vermiculite. In the type of pot you have, I'd add an extra part of perlite. Just to be sure, have your daughter take the plants out of the pots and inspect the roots. Are they whitish and firm, or are they brown and mushy? Does the soil smell sour and rotty? (blech!) If so, she has root rot; check the FAQ on the main forum page for what to do next. Good luck! Korina

It wasn't necessarily Miracle Grow that killed your Jade plant. A jade plant is a succulent and requires a light soil; if you are careful with watering the Miracle Grow Cactus and Succulent soil works fine. Lightening the soil further gives you more leeway. That being said, straight Miracle Gro AV soil is too heavy for your African Violets. You can use it, but if you do, mix it at least 1:1 with Perlite. If you want to make your own soil, the recommended soil is 1:1:1 Vermiculite, Peat, and Perlite. (Or use the premix soil instead of peat.) I use a commercial AV soil (such as Miracle Gro) and I mix it at least 1:1 with perlite, usually I add extra perlite than that. Hope that helps.

I have a few Aerogarden 3's and I think the light would be fine for AVs. I'd place the AV pot(s) on the top of the tray, not IN the water. Maybe keep the light 8-9 inches above the leaves. Of coarse you'd need to keep water in the tank and cover the pod holes to prevent splashing.