One of those teams is the Toronto Raptors, as

When deciding which plants to grow near each other, it’s important to keep their specific needs in mind. “A good rule of thumb when planting different kinds of plants together is that they must have similar water and soil needs so that all the plant types can thrive,” Rekola says. Ready to try your hand at companion planting? These popular combinations are a great place to start.Keeping pests away from crops, especially edible crops like vegetables, is one of the most popular reasons people try companion growing. According to Rekola, choosing fragrant companion plants will help deter pests from your crops. “Adding strong-smelling onions and herbs like sage and oregano to a veggie garden repels pests and protects the other plants,” she explains.

Certain duos work particularly well together to deter pests, namely tomatoes and basil. (That’s right, they don’t just make a great duo in the kitchen but in the garden as well). “Basil repels certain insects that eat the tomato plants and improves the tomatoes’ flavor too,” Rekola says.There are plenty of other herbs and flowers known for repelling pests, including the crops below:Companion growing can also be used to significantly improve your garden’s productivity. Rekola explains that the more pollinators—like bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies—that visit your garden, the better it will perform. “By adding flowering plants or letting your herbs flower, you’ll attract more pollinators to the veggie garden, making it up to 30 percent more productive,” she says.

The following companion herbs and flowers are particularly well-known for their ability to attract pollinators:While deciding which plants to pair together is the most important part of companion growing, there are a few other things to keep in mind.

Rekola says this is one of the biggest mistakes she sees gardeners make. “When plants are grown more tightly together, they protect the soil from drying sun and suppress weed growth,” she explains. “And when plants are grown in proximity, they share resources through their roots, which benefits all the plants.” Ideally, companion plants should be sown within two or three rows of each other, according to the

Gardeners should avoid placing plants that don’t grow well together—like potatoes and zucchini, parsley and carrots, or corn and tomatoes—in close proximity, Rekola says. Keep them at least two to three rows apart.He tried to explain that the ring was more to him than just a piece of jewelry, but a "symbol" of their future and commitment to each other. "Something we were both excited about. Something I put a lot into emotionally and financially,” he pleaded.

He noted that her dismissiveness and refusal to wear the ring made him feel "like she’s hiding the fact she’s engaged sometimes."The conversation quickly soured. She accused him of being “weird” and “materialistic,” and soon, the silence between them was louder than any argument. “Now she’s mad at me, I’m mad at her, and we haven’t really talked about it since,” he admits.

Alone with his thoughts, he began to question himself. “Part of me wonders if I’m being insecure or if this is just a dumb guy thing,” he writes.However, he is convinced that, "if the roles were reversed," she would "1000% feel some type of way too."