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Ready-made combinations

Companion mixes

These are not folklore pest recipes. Each mix shares light, moisture, mature size, and a sequence of bloom or structure, so the plants can actually live together.

  • Sunny pollinator border

    Full sun; dry–medium soil

    Low grass matrix, summer nectar, monarch host, and fall bloom

    Where it goes
    2–4 ft strip beside a sunny bed
    With the rest of the lot
    Good beside a sunny food planting or on its own as a flower strip.
    Care
    Cut back in early spring; thin asters if needed
    Do not
    Do not place tall species on the south side of crops

  • Sunny bed edge

    Full sun; ordinary garden soil

    Flowers from spring through fall and supports diverse beneficial insects

    Where it goes
    North, west, or perimeter edge
    With the rest of the lot
    A pollinator strip for a sunny bed edge.
    Care
    Divide bergamot; leave some stems through winter
    Do not
    Do not crowd crop rows or block airflow

  • Moist rain-garden mix

    Sun–part shade; periodically wet

    Roots occupy different depths and bloom from late spring through fall

    Where it goes
    Lowest part of a rain garden
    With the rest of the lot
    Put it downslope, where the water already runs.
    Care
    Remove woody seedlings; maintain inlet/outlet
    Do not
    Do not put in permanently stagnant water unless species requires it

  • Woodland spring layer

    Part shade–shade; medium soil

    Spring flowers emerge before canopy closure; sedge and ginger cover soil later

    Where it goes
    Under deciduous trees or shrubs
    With the rest of the lot
    Good below serviceberry, pawpaw, spicebush, or hazelnut
    Care
    Retain leaf litter; mark ephemerals before dormancy
    Do not
    Do not cultivate the root zone in summer

  • Edible native hedge

    Sun–part shade; medium soil

    Fruit at several heights with a living groundcover and pollinator support

    Where it goes
    Property edge or north/west side of garden
    With the rest of the lot
    Keeps woody roots and shade off the shorter plants in front.
    Care
    Prune for access; manage suckers; protect harvest from birds
    Do not
    Do not compress large shrubs into a narrow foundation bed

  • Acid berry bed

    Sun–part shade; acidic soil

    All tolerate acidic conditions; ground layer protects soil

    Where it goes
    Dedicated raised bed or container system
    With the rest of the lot
    Keep this bed acidic. Do not lime it.
    Care
    Test pH; mulch with appropriate acidic organic matter
    Do not
    Do not assume Chicago clay is naturally suitable

  • Dry shrub edge

    Sun; dry soil

    Shrub structure with drought-tolerant matrix plants

    Where it goes
    Slope, parkway edge, or hot boundary
    With the rest of the lot
    Useful as wind and habitat edge near a garden
    Care
    Remove unwanted sumac suckers
    Do not
    Do not crowd walkways or foundations

  • Wet edible specialty bed

    Sun–part shade; controlled wet soil

    Food and ornamental wetland plants share stable hydrology

    Where it goes
    Lined pond shelf or controlled wet bed
    With the rest of the lot
    Give it its own wet bed. Don't mix it into an ordinary border.
    Care
    Contain mint and arrowhead; monitor water level
    Do not
    Do not introduce to natural waterways

  • Native trellis

    Sun–part shade; medium–moist soil

    Dedicated vertical layer with flowering base plants

    Where it goes
    Strong freestanding trellis
    With the rest of the lot
    Keep away from crop cages and young trees
    Care
    Prune vines annually; contain groundnut tubers
    Do not
    Do not mix several vigorous vines on a weak support

  • Nut grove understory

    Sun canopy; part-shade understory

    Long-lived canopy, nut shrub layer, and low understory

    Where it goes
    Large yard only
    With the rest of the lot
    Keep it well away from beds you dig every year.
    Care
    Protect young trees; manage leaf litter and nut fall
    Do not
    Do not plant beneath utilities or close to structures

  • Walnut-tolerant native edge

    Sun–shade; medium soil

    Uses natives commonly placed outside sensitive annual-crop zones

    Where it goes
    Large-space boundary
    With the rest of the lot
    Keep tomatoes, peppers, and sensitive fruit beyond the walnut root zone.
    Care
    Collect hulls; monitor shade and roots
    Do not
    Do not put a dug bed under the walnut canopy.

  • Evergreen windbreak

    Sun; dry–medium to moist depending species

    Evergreen structure with low edge plants

    Where it goes
    North or west boundary
    With the rest of the lot
    Reduces wind without blocking southern sun when correctly placed
    Care
    Water evergreens during establishment and dry autumns
    Do not
    Do not build a dense windbreak on the south side of the lot.