20 Best Tall Perennial Flowers

19 of the Best Sunflowers for Pollinators

Companion planting is the centuries-old practice of pairing plants in the garden that benefit one another. Our gardens function as interconnected communities, with different plants providing unique services. Some plants attract beneficial insects, others ward off pests, while some enhance soil health. Anyone who’s grown tomatoes knows they are heavy feeders, and often plagued by foliar diseases and a diversity of insect pests. They certainly stand to benefit from tomato companion plants that promote healthier plants and increased yields.

Want to grow perennials that have a long blooming period in your garden? Long-lasting perennials add color, height, and texture to the landscape. And equally important, many perennials provide important food sources for beneficial insects and pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and birds. Perennials can take some time to get established in the garden and the first year, they're typically focused on growing roots. They grow faster in the second and third year and you can enjoy them each year.

Image: Hampton Court Flower Festival. Credit: RHS

This year Chelsea Flower Show was full of interesting trees and shrubs with lots of dreamy woodland-edge planting in dappled light underneath leafy canopies. Native trees such as hawthorns, hazels and silver birch were the favoured choices in many of the show gardens, with a mixture of native and non-native ornamental plants selected for resilience and sustainability. In Ula Maria’s Forest Bathing Garden, white foxgloves, cow parsley and other umbellifers like Baltic parsley (Cenolophium denudatum) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) were mixed with the simple shade-loving grass Melica altissima ‘Alba’ while Tom Stuart-Smith showcased intricate tapestries of interesting foliage in different shapes and textures. In other gardens, orange was a popular colour in many shades, from deep rusty orange irises to pale orange geums, especially in Ann Marie-Powell’s exuberant Octavia Hill Garden. As always, the Grand Pavilion is the ideal place to discover new and interesting plants showcased by some of the country’s leading nurseries.

House plants bring an extra dimension to your home. Many have evergreen foliage that adds colour and texture, and they create a natural atmosphere that helps promote feelings of calm. Tall house plants are ideal to add structural elements to a room and define the style of the space. With the huge amount of choice that’s now available, you can opt for the dramatic impact of a plant with bold foliage, such as the fiddle leaf fig, or go for a softer look with the wispy fronds of the asparagus fern or the cascading leaves of the ponytail palm.

19 of the Best Prickly Pear (Opuntia) Varieties

Growing sweet potatoes in sacks and bags is a super easy and successful way to bring homegrown goodness to your table. From saving space to getting bigger tubers, this method is about to become your new favorite gardening trick. Let’s dig in!

Stuck looking at a boring wall? Or running low on floor space? These clinging vines are climbing ninjas that use sticky tendrils or disks to conquer any surface. Let’s go!

Want a gorgeous front yard that practically takes care of itself? Dream no more! Our guide reveals the best flowers for the front of the house that will quickly boost your curb appeal and turn your home entrance into a floral carpet fit for the gods!

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17 of the Best Fireblight Resistant Pear Varieties