🌿 Planting Partners in Crime – The Secrets of Companion Planting

Written and edited by Tammy 3rd Sept 2025

Planting Partners in Crime – The Secrets of Companion Planting

Remember the days when celebrity couples got those mash-up names? Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie became Brangelina, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were Bennifer… Well, if we did the same thing in the plant world, the star couple would hands down be tomatoes and basil. What would we call them? Tomasil? Basato? 😂 Whatever the name, they’re a match made in 'garden heaven' and on the dinner plate too.

That’s the magic of companion planting: some plants just click. They look after each other, boost each other’s growth, and keep pests at bay. Think of it as matchmaking for your veggie patch, and the results are delicious.

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🍅 Basil & Tomatoes – The A-List Couple

The power couple. Basil brings the pest-repelling fragrance, tomatoes bring the juicy harvest, and together they make foodies swoon. Gardeners also swear basil improves tomato flavour (and I’d agree!). Pop basil plants around the base of your tomatoes and you’ll have flavour-packed salads, sauces, and pest protection all season. A true red-carpet duo: Tomasil forever. 🌿🍅

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🥕 Carrots & Onions – Odd Couple, Perfect Match

Carrots and onions might not look like they belong together, but trust me, they’re great mates. Onions fend off carrot flies, while carrots help loosen the soil around onion roots. A little bit quirky, but it works. Like the garden’s version of an unlikely rom-com pairing.

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🌽 Beans, Corn & Pumpkins – The Original “Squad Goals”

Known as the Three Sisters, this Indigenous growing method is a lesson in teamwork:

• Corn stands tall as the trellis.

• Beans climb up and feed the soil with nitrogen.

• Pumpkins sprawl across the ground, shading weeds and locking in moisture.

It’s the plant equivalent of a band where everyone plays their part perfectly. No divas, just harmony.

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🥬 Lettuce & Tall Crops – The Cool Kids

Lettuce hates the summer scorch, so give it a little shade by planting it between corn, sunflowers, or even tomatoes. They throw just enough shade to keep lettuce crisp and happy. Think of it as the little sibling tagging along under the wing of the big kids.

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🌸 Flowers – The Party Guests Who Steal the Show

Add flowers among your veggies and you’ll never look back.

• Marigolds are the bouncers, keeping pests and nematodes out.

• Nasturtiums act as decoys, luring aphids away.

• Calendula brings in the pollinators and adds a pop of cheer.

They might not be the “main crop,” but they sure know how to light up the garden party.

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🚫 Garden Frenemies

Not all plants are meant to be together (just like certain Hollywood splits 🙈).

• Beans + onions or garlic = bad vibes, they stunt each other.

• Tomatoes + potatoes = drama, with diseases that spread easily between them.

Sometimes it’s best to keep the exes apart!

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🌿 Quick Companion Planting Tips

• Mix herbs throughout the patch, they confuse pests and attract the “good guys.”

• Layer tall, medium, and low growers to make the most of your space.

• Keep notes! Every garden has its own personality, and your best pairings will reveal themselves over time.

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Companion planting isn’t just a fad, it’s clever, sustainable gardening that works with nature’s rhythm. Start with the celebrity couple of the veggie patch (tomatoes and basil, forever Tomasil 💚), then branch out into other partnerships. Before long, your garden will be a thriving, balanced community where every plant has a role.

Because honestly, who wouldn’t want a veggie patch full of happy plant couples?

Enjoy your gardens and the first days of spring!

Happy gardening😘🌱🍅