Here at Gardenwell, we turn to nature for guidance. Instead of planting neat rows of carrots, we take inspiration from the layered, abundant way plants thrive together in the wild. This natural diversity informs every aspect of our gardening approach.

Interplanting and intensive planting are at the heart of this philosophy. These methods help us create gardens that are resilient, productive, and visually striking—a thoughtful balance of science and design. The results? Gardens that feel alive, purposeful, and uniquely beautiful.

SIMPLY DEFINED

**Interplanting**
Growing different plants together in the same space to maximize productivity and promote ecological balance.
**Intensive or High Density Planting**
Strategically planting crops closely together to maximize yield and efficiency while maintaining plant health. Not to be confused with overcrowding.

Beyond Traditional Companion Planting

The term “companion planting” often refers to pairings like marigolds for pest control or basil with tomatoes for flavor enhancement. While some of these have merit beyond old wives’ tales, my philosophy is more about embracing biodiversity and ecological balance. Instead of focusing on which plants “like” each other, I consider how to mimic the complexity of a natural ecosystem. Nature doesn’t plant in rows—it creates dynamic, layered communities where diversity is the key to resilience.

Interplanting

No judgment here: whether you were indecisive at the nursery or realistically only need a single serrano plant, a variety of plants often suits the kitchen gardener. Interplanting is a science-based approach providing space to either of those scenarios.

Core Principles and Benefits of Interplanting

Diversity Deters Pests: Monocropping is a buffet for pests. You’re basically inviting them to move in with a lifetime supply of their favorite food. Mixing vegetables, herbs, and flowers confuses them with a blend of visual and chemical signals.
Improved Soil Health: Diverse root systems improve soil structure and nutrient availability. Quick myth busting opportunity: while legumes, such as beans, enhance nitrogen in partnership with rhizobia bacteria, most of that nitrogen becomes available to other plants only after the legumes decompose. So they make wonderful cover crops but fall short as a companion for this specific function. They are, however, delicious.
Microclimates: Layered plantings conserve moisture, moderate temperatures, and reduce evaporation. This creates a healthier, low-maintenance growing environment. Varied plant heights, like tall tomatoes shading leafy greens, allows the sun lovers to stand tall while allowing cooler temp veggies to thrive.

Intensive Planting

High density or intensive planting does not mean overcrowding. It’s about minimizing wasted space without creating competition among plants for nutrients and sunlight. By planting in an offset pattern rather than traditional rows, we can fit many more plants in the same area. We space the plants so their leaves barely touch. The shade created can either protect the soil from moisture loss and weeds or provide a microclimate for shade loving plants that double as a living mulch.

And by the way, also, it’s ok there is slight leafy overlap. We’re in there harvesting and tending constantly so airflow isn’t a big concern for us.

Another key aspect is succession planting, which helps keep the garden productive. By staggering sowing dates and replanting harvested areas with new crops, we maximize growing space. Using “square foot gardening” spacing as a guide and incorporating vertical growing for space-hungry plants like tomatoes, we grow healthy and abundant gardens.

This next part is deserving of its own deep dive: add fresh compost regularly and generously. Compost is life, literally.

The Design Perspective

Now moving from fact to opinion—a distinction I treasure, because your garden should reflect you. Personally, I feel that interplanting and intensive planting elevate visual appeal. A thoughtfully laid-out garden can feel as lush and inviting as an ornamental landscape.

Design Tips

Contrast and Cohesion. Pair plants with contrasting textures and colors, like frilly kale alongside smooth-leafed lettuces. Repeating elements, such as marigolds or nasturtiums, help tie the beds together. Create waves of visual interest by mixing different colors of the same lettuce type, such as dark red and light green romaine.
Layering Height. Add depth by incorporating plants of varying heights, being mindful of the shadows taller plants cast to the north. If the bed can be accessed from all sides, I like to place the largest and tallest plants in the center of a raised bed, surrounded by medium height varieties, then sloping down to smaller, shorter plants around the edges. Alpine strawberries are my all-time favorite low-growing plant to tuck in and around the sides, along with a mix of herbs and flowers.
Lastly, plan ahead for every season so you can quickly fill any empty spaces. Depending on timing, this could mean planting a fast-growing crop for the current season or getting a head start with a slow-growing vegetable for the next.

A Garden That Nourishes

We want our kitchen gardens to become an integrated, productive part of the greater environment; not something that must be protected from nature. By designing spaces that mimic, natural ecosystems, our gardens can thrive with less intervention. More time to play, less time reacting.