Gardeners now know that having just one type or group in your garden will not provide the necessary diversity for optimal health and beauty, so you need more than what’s found on store shelves today!
It is believed some combinations bring real benefits when paired together—and practical experience has demonstrated this theory well with many different people observing how certain mixtures work best.
Companions are like partners in crime. They help each other grow better!
For instance, tall plants provide shade for shorter ones which are sensitive to sunlight, and vining types can cover ground or climb up if needed.
Read on to find out the best 26 plants that you should grow side-by-side!
Roses + Garlic
Many gardeners have been planting garlic with roses for years.
The reason is because this relationship guarantees that pesky rose pests will be kept at bay by the pungent odor from these two plants together while they flourish in your backyard, providing you with abundant flowers and greenery all season long!
Marigolds + Melons
Some marigold varieties control nematodes in the roots of melon as effectively as some chemical treatments, and without harming other plants.
Tomatoes + Cabbage
Tomatoes are the best friends a gardener could have! Tomatoes love repelling diamondback moth larvae, which are caterpillars that chew large holes in cabbages leaves.
Cucumbers + Nasturtiums
The nasturtium is a great companion for growing cucumbers and squash.
With its vining stems, you can grow them up near your other plants or down low where it won’t block any sunlight from reaching those higher on the vine!
Peppers + Pigweed
Leaf-miners love to eat the leaves of pigweed and ragweed, but you should remove their flower heads before setting seed because these weeds can be invasive.
Cabbage + Dill
Dill is a common companion plant for many different types of vegetables.
One way it’s helpful in the garden, according to gardening experts: Dill attracts wasps that feed on imported cabbage worms and help control them!
Corn + Beans
The beans attract beneficial insects that prey on corn pests like: leafhoppers, fall army worms and leaf beetles.
And bean vines climb up the stalks making them a difficult target for those who would want to snack away at your crops!
Lettuce + Tall Flowers
These flowers, Nicotiana and Cleome respectively give lettuce the perfect light shade to grow best in.
Radishes + Spinach
Planting radishes together with your spinach will draw leaf-miners away from the nutritious greens.
The damage that these pests do to plant leaves does not prevent them from growing healthy roots, which can then produce a delicious harvest for you!
Potatoes + Sweet Alyssum
Plant sweet alyssum alongside bushy crops like potatoes, or let it spread to form a living ground cover under arching plants like broccoli.
The flowers will scent your garden all summer!
Collards + Catnip
The nectar from these little flowers lures ladybugs and other predators that help protect cauliflower.
Strawberries + Love-In-A-Mist
This tall, beautiful flower will look amazing planted in the center of your strawberry patch.
It has large blue petals and looks like a perfect match for this sunny fruit!