Gardening Tips

Some of the best gardening advice has nothing to do with growing a single plant well — it's about the right mix and placement of plants together. A few adjustments, at no cost beyond a little planning, go a long way.

Layout and Layering

Place larger plants toward the back and middle of a bed to add depth and make even a small garden feel larger. Let a few big perennials anchor the overall shape so you're not redoing the layout every year, and put reliably blooming annuals along the front border where they'll be seen — the perennial growth behind sets them off well. Plants massed in clusters, rather than placed singly, read as a much more deliberate, eye-catching display.

Color and Companion Planting

A monochromatic planting can be striking — white flowers give a bed a soft, dreamy feel, while reds and oranges read as bold and arresting. Some plants also help each other out directly: marigolds planted around roses discourage the aphids roses tend to attract, garlic deters leaf-eating insects nearby, and bee balm draws in pollinators like bees and hummingbirds that benefit the whole bed.