PLANTING COMPANIONS

Planting companions is often a term used when putting together plants that will have a beneficial use to each other. For example, vegetable growers will often put marigolds with tomatoes in a greenhouse to ward off whitefly or onions next to carrots to confuse carrot fly! In the garden there are many plants that look grand on their own but put together with another plant look absolutely superb, each bringing the others very best qualities out. Very often the choice of combination is made because subtle colours from one plant are highlighted in their companion ie. reddish stems in one plant and red leaves in the other. Alternatively one plant can provide a strong background colour to emphasize the beauty of its companion plant.

Here we are going to show you some combinations that we think work together to show each plant off to the maximum.

This is an early summer combination with the hop Humulus lupulus aureus scrambling over an old buxus, Briza maxima the annual allowed to self seed with Linaria purpurea.

 

 

Rosa glauca and Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge' grown in a south facing border the greyish purple leaves coupled with red berries is a good contrast against the butter yellow and green leaves of the Elaeagnus.

 

Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' is a well known shrub but in this instance is in combination with a much less known viburnum called Viburnum tinus 'Variegatum'. It has attractive pale green and creamy yellow leaves on pinkish stems. 

 

This tree is Cercis 'Forest Pansy' a delightful pink flowering tree in spring and followed by these delicious deep wine coloured leaves under planted with Lychnis coronaria.

 

 

In another south facing border here we have Ageratina 'Chocolate'  companioned with Sedum 'Rose Glow' a delightful low spreading sedum whose grey foliage will tinge purple the drier the weather becomes, beside this Pennisetum orientale 'Tall Tails' a grass that likes well drained soil and a hot aspect.