Planting particular varieties of vegetables or flowers together can be beneficial to both plants. Companion planting ensures your garden will thrive. Build a plant community with a happy garden that grows in harmony by selecting a few companion plants. Check out local landscapers' favorite combinations.

The Milles Sculpture Garden consists of three large reflecting pools that span the Missouri Botanical Garden's central axis from the Spink Pavilion to the Climatron.  Built in 1913, the pools have been fully renovated and display seven works by the late Swedish sculptor Carl Milles. Bald cypress trees frame the majestic vista, further accented by seasonal borders including pansies, tulips and summer annual displays. The tropical water lilies and giant Victoria water lilies peak in August and September and have been a major Garden attraction since before the famed 1904 St.

That old saying about there being nothing new under the sun may just be coming true under the sun in your back yard. Back in Medieval times monks combined flowers, vegetables and medicinal herbs in the gardens surrounding their monasteries. The French coined the term “portage” to describe formally laid out kitchen gardens that mixed flowers, vegetables and fruits in ways that were beautiful as well as useful.

It’s a joy to drive through the Italian wine region in Italy’s Northeast, known as the Piedmont. Especially in early summer, when the landscape looks like an Impressionist painting – the poppy fields dotting the hillsides are an explosion of delicate, bright-red flowers, interspersed with the many vineyards that are just starting to show what will become a green-leaf canopy sheltering the amazing, mostly deep purple grapes.  

Walking the line between an adaptable outdoor accent and a durable resurfacing option, pavers stand the test of time while adding custom finishes to exterior spaces. Individually cut, these permeable portions of concrete are perfectly placed into eye-catching patterns to refresh monotonous spaces while crafting a one-of-a-kind aesthetic.

Heat up your outdoor experience by incorporating a fire feature in your landscape. Fireplaces, fire pits and fire tables light up the ambience and extend the usability of your outdoor space from day to night and summer to fall.

ONE: Palazzo fireplace, by Heat & Glo, available at Forshaw.

TWO: Vintage 2424 fire pit, by The Outdoor Great Room Company, available at C. Bennett.

THREE: Hammered copper top fire pit, by O.W. Lee, available at Amini’s.