Tag: Zinnias

10 Plant Partnerships That Will Triple Your Harvest (Gardeners Shocked!) –
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I learned that one simple gardening trick can boost harvests quickly while cutting pest numbers almost in half. The trick is companion planting: nature’s way of helping plants work better together.

After many seasons of trial and error, this method turned my weak veggie beds into a healthy, busy garden in no time.

No need to stress about fancy layouts. These 10 plant partners work well with little effort. Ready to match plants the easy way? Let’s go.

Plant Partners That Work Wonders

1. Tomatoes & Basil: A Reliable Match

This pair isn’t just delicious on the plate. Basil’s strong smell helps keep away pests like aphids and hornworms that usually bother tomatoes.

Growing them together can even make tomatoes taste better. (Seriously. My tomatoes tasted so much better once I planted basil beside them.)

2. Carrots & Onions: A Simple Defense

Carrot flies can wipe out a crop fast, but onions help block them. In return, carrots help loosen the soil for onion bulbs. They just work well together.

3. Corn & Beans: The Old “Three Sisters” Duo

This old planting method makes sense. Beans add nitrogen to the soil, which corn needs. The corn stalks give the beans something to climb. It’s a natural setup that works smoothly.

4. Cucumbers & Nasturtiums: The Decoy

Nasturtiums act like bait, pulling pests like aphids and beetles away from cucumbers. They also have pretty flowers that you can eat with a pepper-like taste.

5. Peppers & Marigolds: Root Protectors

A common mistake is planting peppers without help. Marigold roots release compounds that chase away nematodes that damage pepper roots.

Some studies show that marigolds can reduce nematode populations by up to 90%. Their blooms look nice, too.

6. Lettuce & Radishes: Soil Helpers

Radishes break up compacted soil, allowing lettuce roots to grow deeper. This makes lettuce stronger on hot and dry days. Radishes also grow fast, so you get an early harvest while waiting for your lettuce.

7. Squash & Borage: Bee Magnets

Squash needs more bees, and borage attracts them. These bright blue flowers pull in loads of pollinators and help keep pests away from squash. Knowing this pairing gives you better fruit.

8. Potatoes & Horseradish: A Surprise Team

This pair sounds odd, but it works. Horseradish contains natural compounds that help keep potatoes strong and beetles away. Plant horseradish at the corners of the potato bed for protection.

9. Strawberries & Thyme: Berry Guards

Slugs love strawberries, but thyme helps stop them with its strong scent. Thyme also acts as ground cover, keeping berries off the soil and reducing fungal problems. Simple and smart.

10. Cabbage & Dill: Friendly Bug Attractors

Dill doesn’t chase pests. Instead, it brings in helpful insects like ladybugs and lacewings that eat cabbage worms. It’s like having tiny guards watching over your cabbages.

Why Companion Planting Works

Companion planting is more than old advice. It’s backed by how plants interact. They use scents and root signals to communicate with one another. The results can be big:
- Less pest damage, fewer sprays
- Better pollination
- Grow more in small spaces
- Better soil use
- Shade where needed
When you match plants well, everything grows better together.

How To Start

Try just two or three partner groups this season. Watch how plant health, pest problems, and harvest amounts change.

Remember: it’s not just about putting plants next to each other. It’s about letting them support each other. Keep them close but not crowded; about 12–18 inches apart works for most pairs.

With the right partners, your garden becomes a group that works together instead of single plants growing alone. That’s the goal for most of us anyway.
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Gary Antosh

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November 2, 2025
Color Theory: 10 Perfect Plant Combinations for Autumn – Gardenista

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“I don’t do frilly,” say Diane Schaub, director of gardens at Central Park Conservancy. We are standing under the shade of an old magnolia in the English garden, one of three smaller gardens within Central Park’s six-acre Conservatory Garden near the northeast corner of the park. Schaub, who earned a diploma from the New York Botanical Garden’s School of Professional Horticulture, has been curating the Conservatory Garden for more than 30 years. And while she does not do frilly, she does do color and texture, breathtakingly well. She has a painter’s eye for composition and an architect’s instinct for structural detail.

Below, we share her best color combinations for fall garden beds:

Photography by Marie Viljoen for Gardenista.

Burgundy + Green

Above: “This is as frilly as I go,” she clarifies, indicating a velvet-leafed plant with burgundy leaves, beside the bluestone path. The plant in question is a Solenostemon (formerly classified as Coleus) and the cultivar is ‘Lancelot.’

Above: Solenostemon ‘Lancelot’ (paired with Salvia ‘Paul’) belongs to a crew of leafy annuals whose impact is felt dramatically in this garden, where the seasonal spectacle owes a great deal to plants whose interest lies in their foliage.

Purple + Yellow + Blue

Above: If you thought leaves were boring, think again. Solenostemon ‘Purple Prince’, black-leafed Dahlia ‘Mystic Illusion’, and Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue.’

Purple + Red

Above: Elephant-eared Colocasia esculenta ‘Black Magic’, Solenostemon ‘Redhead’, and Agastache cana ‘Heather Queen.’

Purple + Lilac

Above: A bed of Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’, Salvia x ‘Indigo Spires’, the leafy and lilac-striped Strobilanthes dyeranus, and elephant-eared Colocasia esculenta ‘Blue Hawaii’. The latter “makes the whole composition work,” says Schaub. Dark purple Pennisetum ‘Vertigo’ is in the background.

Above: The English Garden is arranged in beds radiating from a central pond overhung by the largest crabapple tree in Central Park, leaves now turning yellow. Designed by Betty Sprout and opened in 1937, this part of the park was by the 1970s considered one of the most dangerous places in New York City. In 1980, the Central Park Conservancy was formed in response to the neglect the park had suffered in the previous two decades. Its founding director, Elizabeth Rogers, earmarked the Conservatory Gardens for renovation.

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October 3, 2025
The Best Fall-Blooming Flowers Beyond Chrysanthemums

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We don’t hate chrysanthemums. Let’s just get that out of the way. There is a lot to be said for their instant, impulse-buy autumnal cheer. A pot on the stoop (with a pumpkin or two), as the clock ticks towards Halloween, is welcoming. But muffin-top mums, rounded and mounded in a way that nature did not intend—left to their own devices, naturally-elegant perennial chrysanthemums are leggy and loose—have saturated the market. Their inescapable presence as October unspools makes it very easy to forget how many other flowers relish autumn.

The list of fall flowers is long, so here is a choice (albeit biased) collection.

Photography by Marie Viljoen.

Above: Fall flowers from Willow Wisp Organic Farm, at the Grand Army Plaza greenmarket in Brooklyn.

Celosia

Above: Celosia is a warm-weather annual whose flowers peak in fall.

In terms of commercial success, annual Celosia is beginning to nudge chrysanthemums off that front stoop. I see potfuls at my local deli in Brooklyn, at Whole Foods, at the market. Their rich, cockscomb colors are made for fall. These African annuals have taken off in the US. Aside from their tasseled ornamental appeal, the plants are in fact vegetables. They are eaten as cooked, leafy greens in their homeland and are reminiscent of amaranth greens, in flavor and texture.

Zinnia

Above: Zinnia marylandica Double Zahara™ Raspberry Ripple,

Zinnias are a genus of annuals native to Mexico and Central America. They are one of the most rewarding cut flowers to enjoy as the weather cools. Available in a rainbow of colors (only blues are missing), more zinnia cultivars are being developed to withstand the mildew that sometimes bothers their leaves in humid climates. The blooms attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.

Dahlia

Above: Dahlias at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in October.

Dahlias might be the queens of autumn bouquets. Ranging from compactly petite pom-poms to ruffled flowers the size of side plates, with colors from candy stripes to rich jewel hues, the long-stalked flowers are cut-and-come-again for weeks from late summer through frost. Dahlias are hardy from USDA zones 8 to 10.

Tithonia

Above: Tithonia blooms from late summer till frost and is a boon to bees.

After it begins to flower in late summer, Mexican and Southwestern native annual Tithonia continues to blaze with color as nights dip into the 50s. The plant grows tall (upwards of five feet) and the blooms are very attractive to bees and other pollinators.

Marigold

Above: Annual marigolds (flor de muerto), play a key role in Día de los Muertos rituals in late October and early November.

The assertive scent of marigolds is a floral signal that the season has changed. Days are losing light, and the year’s end is approaching, staved off by celebrations that honor souls that have passed. Garlands of marigolds are a necessity for the Day of the Dead, and have a place at Halloween tables, too: The flowers are long-lasting in a vase, and marigold petals are edible. The plants have long been valued in companion planting traditions, and science bears this out: They secrete chemicals that deter nematodes and other pathogens.

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October 7, 2024
Fall Flowers: Our Favorite Perennials and Annuals for Adding Color in the Autumn Garden

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While I try to live in the moment as much as possible, it’s harder to be mindful when it c0mes to garden design. After all, planning ahead for the next season is often the key to a beautiful four-season garden. As summer chugs along, I’m already thinking about what flowers will be blooming in the months ahead and what will be supportive to our pollinator friends.

Here are some favorite late bloomers I’m considering for my and my clients’ gardens this fall:

Chrysanthemum

Above: Photograph by Ashley Noelle Edwards, courtesy of Gabriela Salazar, from Garden Visit: ‘Love and Care’ in Florist Gabriela Salazar’s Flower Garden.

I know what you’re thinking: those supermarket flowers? But take a closer look at the more unique varieties that have hit the market. I totally swoon over the spider, quilled, and pom pom ones, and you might, too. These long-lasting cut flowers boasts autumnal colors and are superbly sturdy, making them a great addition to a cut flower garden. Also, because they contain pyrethrum, a natural insect repellent, consider planting some on the edges of a vegetable bed to ward off nibbly invaders. Hardy in USDA Zones 3-9. Best planted in full sun and soil that drains well. (See Gardening 101: Chrysanthemums.)

Aster

Above: Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer, from Gardening 101: Aster.

Come late summer, when many flowers start fading, asters are here for the bees, butterflies, and other pollinator pals. Depending on the variety, some asters grow to around a foot tall, while others tower to 6-plus feet; they can range in color from purple to blue and white. Plant in a partly sunny to full sun spot with soil that drains well. Potentially deer-resistant as well. I’m fond of Aster chilensis as it is a vigorous California native perennial with pale lilac flowers and is a great butterfly nectar plant. Hardy in USDA Zones 3-8.

Black-Eyed Susan

Above: Photograph by Edwina von Gal, from ‘Stop Putting Your Garden into Shapewear’: 12 Tips for Nature-Based Gardening

A fall favorite, Rudbeckia hirta is also beloved by pollinators and looks fantastic when planted with ornamental grasses for a meadow effect. Growing from 1 to 3 feet, they make great cut flowers and thrive in a sunny spot. Make sure to deadhead the flowers to promote blooming, and then at the end of the season leave the seed heads for the birds to snack on. Favorite hybrids include ‘Prairie Sun’, ‘Sonora’ and ‘Autumn Colors’. Hardy in USDA Zones 3-9. See also Gardening 101: Black-Eyed Susans.)

Anise Hyssop

Above: Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer for Jinny Blom’s What Makes a Garden. (See our review of the book here.)

Contrary to what might be assumed, anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) plant is not anise but is instead in the mint family and the leaves exude a spicy scent similar to licorice. Adored by pollinators and detested by deer, this perennial produces long lasting purplish blooms that can be used in flower arrangements. The vertical habit pairs well with cascading ornamental grasses and other fall-blooming favorites. A sunny spot is best. USDA Zones 4-8.(See also Gardening 101: Hyssop.)

Japanese Anemone

Above: Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer for Gardenista, from Gardening 101: Japanese Anemones.

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August 21, 2024
Our Favorite Flowers to Sow in June for an Autumn Bloom

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Even though Memorial Day is behind us, we’re still technically in the midst of spring (summer solstice falls on June 20 this year). This means you still have time to direct-sow seeds in your garden to fill in the gaps and guarantee color come autumn.

Note that different varieties of flowers may have different days to maturity, so please check the back of the seed packet to make sure it has a short maturity date. And as always, don’t forget to meet your plants’ needs with full sun, good soil, and the right amount of water.

Here are five flowers you can start from seed in June that will bloom before frost.

Photography by Joy Yagid.

Nasturtiums, Tropaeolum majus, 28 to 42 days to bloom.

Above: Nasturtiums come in at first place for their ability to bloom in as little as a month after sowing. Cheerful, edible flowers, they’re loved by bumble bees and available in different shades of red, orange, yellow, and a mix of the three colors. Plant in your garden beds as a green mulch under tomatoes.

Zinnias, Zinnia elegans, 55+ days to bloom.

Above: Zinnias can bring a riot of color to your garden by August and are a hit with butterflies and bees. They also make great cut flowers. Choose your variety carefully; some grow to less than two feet tall and others can reach over four feet! They are very susceptible to mildew, but it doesn’t stop them from flowering. They will keep blooming until frost.

Marigolds, Tagetes spp, 56 days to bloom.

Above: Marigolds are another happy flower that can do double duty as both a cheery welcome in a container on your front steps and an insect repellent in the vegetable garden.When their blooms fade, you can use the petals to make dye. (See 5 Flowers to Grow for a Starter Natural Dyes Garden.)

Cosmos, Cosmos bipinnatus, 65 to 70 days to bloom.

Above: Tall and wispy, cosmos add movement in addition to color to your garden. Their feather-like foliage moves in the slightest breeze. Another bonus is they don’t mind the heat and deer don’t like them. In New Jersey, they are planted on highway medians for beautification.

Sunflowers, Helianthus annuus, 70 days to bloom.

Above: The quintessential happy flower, sunflowers can be started in June and will bloom by September. And while their flowers are associated with summer, their coloring makes them the perfect fall bouquet flower. Better yet, don’t cut them and leave them for the soon-to-be migrating birds, who love to snack on their high-calorie seeds in preparation for the flight south. (See In Praise of Hulled Sunflower Seeds (the MVP of Bird Food).

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June 6, 2024