Some things just go together like biscuits and gravy or peanut butter and jelly.

Likewise, plants have companions that produce best when planted side by side, says Kathi Mecham, a University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist in Carroll County.

With gardening season ahead, Mecham suggests considering how plants can benefit each other. Plan so that “function and beauty” go hand in hand, she says.

“It’s important to think of your garden as a whole, rather than as separate parts,” Mecham says.

In addition to enhancing growth and production, companion planting also helps supports natural pest control. Pests typically prefer monocultures – plants of a single variety. But you might have able to deter pests by adding plants that have a texture, smell or taste that is unappealing to insects and other pests.

“There are benefits to aromas,” Mecham says. “Consider planting between rows so that you disrupt and trick the pests.”

Pairings work well for several reasons:

Pest deterrent. Strong scents and annoying textures can keep some pests out of the garden. Planting marigolds around the perimeter of a garden may deter some pests, although there is limited science behind this. No matter what, the marigolds are aesthetically pleasing, says Mecham. Likewise, basil has been found to mask tomato plants from thrips.

Attract beneficial insects and pollinators. Some plants can provide biological control by attracting insects seeking pollen and nectar.

Beauty. Choose plants that complement each other in color, balance, scale and design. Also consider functionality of your plants – do they serve to feed wildlife or encourage pollinators?

Improved soil fertility and structure. Some legumes add nitrogen to the soil while other deep-rooted plants can move water and nutrients higher up in the soil bed.

Crop rotation. Rotate crops annually to reduce the risk of disease and insects. Crops that need high nitrogen such as leafy greens and broccoli benefit from planting where nitrogen-producing legumes grew the previous year.

The pairing of plants has long been part of folklore, but recent scientific evidence indicates there’s more to it, says Mecham. Research shows that plants communicate with one another and share messaging and resources to influence surrounding plants.

University of West Virginia Extension touts the “Three Sisters Garden.” This includes corn, which provides a natural trellis for climbing crops such as beans and peas. The legumes return nitrogen to the soil. Squash and pumpkin leaves provide weed protection.

Learn more about gardening and companion planting in articles featured on the MU Integrated Pest Management website at https://ipm.missouri.edu/search.

Trap cropping

Another companion planting practice involves planting one crop to save another crop, says Mecham.

Plant a crop that attracts insects at the end of a row or around the perimeter of the garden. Insects are drawn to these plants and leave the desired crop alone.

This is also a natural way to limit use of pesticides, says Mecham, and it is commonly used to control squash vine borer and squash bugs in squash crops.

Plant trap crops three weeks ahead of planting the desired crop.

A delicate butterfly alighting on a garden bloom is a tangible sign for many that spring has indeed arrived.

A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist shared insights on how to draw these beautiful beneficial insects to your yard — not only in the spring but throughout the summer and fall.

“The key to having the most butterflies is to have constant or overlapping blooms,” said Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Bexar County. “You can keep pollinators coming back to your garden with reliable, continuous food sources that they like.”

By planning ahead, both with planting at appropriate times and knowing when you’ll have butterfly-favorite flowers, they will return to your bloom buffet over and over again.

Eight plants for pollinators

Keck, who is also the AgriLife Learn Butterfly Gardening course instructor, said some plants do a better job than others of attracting butterflies and other pollinators, and plants designated Texas Superstars are a good choice to survive and thrive. Here are some of her Texas pollinator plant suggestions:

1. Pride of Barbados: With showy orange and red flowers, it is a dramatic plant for Texas gardens. Depending on the zone it is grown in, it may serve as everything from an annual to a shrub.
2. Henry Duelberg salvia: This true Texas native was discovered in Central Texas, growing at the grave of the person for whom it is named. It can bloom spring through fall if it is cut back regularly.
3. Mystic spires blue salvia: This salvia flowers freely during the growing season and is a plant butterflies love. It has a very tubular flower, and the butterfly must use its long proboscis to get down into the nectar, which is exactly as it was designed to do.
4. Lantanas: These are a good option available in many colors and bloom even during the hottest weather. The new gold lantana is very hardy and highly attractive to butterflies and native pollinators as well.
5. Butterfly deep pink penta: Another option to bring blooms to your garden for three seasons are pentas. The unique star-shaped flowers are a dazzling color and relatively low maintenance and pest tolerant.
6. Fall zinnias: When planted late summer, fall zinnias can play a crucial role in providing butterflies food in the fall, often up until the first frost. Available in a variety of bright colors, you can buy zinnias nearly year-round, but fall offers the most variety.
7. Turk’s cap: A native plant to South Texas, it is relatively low-maintenance, tough throughout Texas and attracts hummingbirds. Although it doesn’t have a ton of flowers, the turban-shaped flowers it does produce are usually red, but varieties can range from white or pink or both.
8. Gregg’s mistflower: This quick growing native plant is beloved by bees and serves as a good food source in the fall for migrating butterflies like the Monarch.

What else should I know about butterflies?

It is important to keep in mind that a butterfly garden and butterfly-friendly plants are food-sources for the adults. If you want to observe butterflies through their whole life cycle, you will need to plant food sources for caterpillars and have plants where butterflies will lay their eggs.