Companion planting is a great way to maximize space in a garden. Companion planting is when two or more different species of plants are planted in close proximity to each other in the garden because they are beneficial to each other and to the garden as a whole. Companion planting can attract beneficial insects to your garden, increase plant growth through nitrogen fixation, and even repel unwanted pests from the garden.

The most common usage of companion planting is with corn and pole beans. The pole beans are able to use the corn stalk to climb, and the beans fix nitrogen which increases the growth of the corn. Allowing the pole beans to use the corn stalk as their “pole” to climb creates more room in the garden for other plant varieties rather than having a separate space for the beans to climb. Other common companion plants are tomatoes and marigolds as well as peppers and basil. Marigold and basil are both known pest repellent plants which protect the tomato and pepper plants from pests.

There are several other combinations of plants that can be used in companion planting. Incorporating companion planting in a garden is a perfect way to create a healthy, beneficial garden especially if you have a limited garden space!