Love Grows Here (Sometimes): 90 Day Fiancé UK Companion Planting
As I’ve been watching the latest season of 90 Day Fiancé UK, I was struck by how the dynamics between couples on the show mirror the complex relationships between plants. Those tense moments between Richard and Kathleen had me looking at my garden with fresh eyes, wondering which of my plants were secretly undermining each other and which were in perfect harmony.
My husband recently caught the 90 Day fever, too, which means we’ve been rewatching from Season 1 so he can catch up on all the drama. This relationship retrospective has been the perfect opportunity to revisit some of the most memorable couples from previous seasons—from Shane and Mert’s Mediterranean magic to Kadie and Alejandro’s doomed romance—and I can’t help but see their dynamics reflected in my garden beds.
Relationship Lessons from Your Garden Beds
Just like these couples navigate compatibility challenges, cultural differences, and sometimes disastrous matchups, plants in your garden form relationships that can either flourish or fail depending on who’s planted next to whom.
Some plant combinations support each other with perfect chemistry, offering natural pest protection, improved growth, and enhanced flavors. Others, despite initial attraction, prove fundamentally incompatible, with one partner actively suppressing the other’s growth or competing for the same resources.
The right plant partnerships create garden harmony that neither could achieve alone, while mismatched pairings lead to stunted growth, wilting, and eventual separation (or at least they should!). Let’s explore which plants represent some memorable 90 Day Fiancé UK couples and how you can create your own reality-inspired garden with both perfect matches and dramatic failures—because knowing what not to plant together is as important as knowing what works!
Shane & Mert: Mediterranean Magic
Rosemary & Lavender: The Skeptic and The Drama Queen
Shane as Rosemary: Sturdy, resilient, and protective with a strong presence. Like Shane’s practical approach to relationship challenges, rosemary stands firm against garden pests while maintaining its essential character in any condition.
Mert as Lavender: Showstopping, dramatic, and requiring attention. Lavender’s stunning purple blooms demand to be noticed—much like Mert’s personality!
These Mediterranean natives share a love for similar growing conditions—full sun, well-drained soil, and minimal fussing (despite Mert’s penchant for indulgences like caviar).
Rosemary’s strong oils deter pests that might otherwise bother lavender, while both plants enhance each other’s aromatic properties when grown in proximity. Their complementary growth habits—rosemary’s upright woody structure and lavender’s mounded form—create visual interest without competition.
Plant these sun-lovers with at least 2 to 3 feet between them—everyone needs personal space, even in the closest relationships. Both prefer slightly alkaline soil and excellent drainage; adding limestone chips to heavy soil can improve the conditions. Once established, water sparingly.
These plants create Mediterranean magic through their balanced partnership. Their drought tolerance mirrors the couple’s ability to weather tough times, while their complementary growth habits show how different personalities can enhance rather than compete with each other.
Clip rosemary year-round for cooking, and harvest lavender flowers just as they begin to open for the strongest fragrance. Combine them in herb bundles for closet fresheners that repel moths, or infuse both in olive oil for a relationship-inspired drizzling oil!
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Jose & Louise: Melodious Partnership
Jasmine & Runner Beans: The Serenader and The Sturdy Climber
- Jose as Jasmine: Sweetly fragrant, consistently blooming, and serenading the garden with its perfume. Jasmine’s intoxicating scent fills the air—much like Jose’s memorable “I love you chicken” serenade—creating an atmosphere of devotion wherever it grows.
- Louise as Runner Beans: Robust, productive, and surprisingly strong climbing vines. Runner beans may look decorative with their bright flowers, but they’re workhorses in the garden—producing heavily while developing tough stems that grip supports with impressive strength.
Jasmine provides the romantic ambiance while runner beans bring practical productivity to this garden partnership. Both are climbing plants that benefit from similar support structures, with jasmine’s sweet fragrance potentially confusing pests that might otherwise bother the beans. Meanwhile, the beans’ nitrogen-fixing abilities improve soil conditions for their fragrant companion.
Provide a sturdy trellis or pergola that supports both plants while allowing them to intertwine naturally. Plant jasmine first, as it’s typically slower to establish, then add runner beans once supports are in place. The beans will quickly climb alongside the jasmine, creating a productive and aromatic vertical garden.
Jose’s “romantic” serenades provide the emotional sweetness that complements Louise’s practical strength—just as jasmine’s intoxicating fragrance enhances the bean plant’s productive nature. Their partnership demonstrates how sensory appeal pairs perfectly with practical substance to create harmony in both garden beds and relationships.
Enjoy jasmine’s sweet fragrance throughout the growing season while continuously harvesting beans for the kitchen. The more beans you pick, the more the plants produce—proving that active engagement benefits productivity, just like in the best relationships! And you can dry jasmine flowers for teas or potpourri, while the beans provide nourishing harvests.
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Kadie & Alejandro: Cautionary Companions
Tomatoes & Fennel: The Doomed Pairing
- Kadie as Tomatoes: Versatile, adaptable, and offering substance to the garden. Tomatoes thrive in various conditions while maintaining their essential nature—requiring steady support but providing rich rewards.
- Alejandro as Fennel: Visually attractive with distinct flavors, but ultimately incompatible with many garden companions. Fennel releases compounds that can prevent nearby plant growth—including tomatoes.
Unlike most pairings in our guide, tomatoes and fennel represent a classic garden incompatibility—much like Kadie and Alejandro’s relationship that ultimately couldn’t overcome its challenges. Fennel releases allelopathic compounds that stunt tomato growth while competing for similar resources. What initially seems like an attractive combination proves unsustainable in the long term.
For garden success (unlike relationship success), keep these plants in completely separate beds. If you must grow both, place them on opposite sides of your garden with buffer plants in between. This physical separation represents the reality of the relationship; sometimes, distance is the only solution.
Just like Kadie and Alejandro couldn’t sustain their relationship despite initial attraction, these plants demonstrate that not all pairings are meant to last. The garden incompatibility mirrors the relationship mismatch—an important lesson in both horticulture and romance.
When grown separately, both plants can thrive and produce abundantly. Tomatoes offer versatile culinary applications, while fennel provides distinctive anise flavors for special dishes (proving that sometimes both parties can flourish better independently than together).
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Emma & Hossein: Desert Drama
Yucca & Desert Marigold: Practical Protection Meets Flashy Display
- Emma as Yucca: Tough, no-nonsense, and thorny with a practical purpose. Yuccas survive harsh conditions with their spiky, protective leaves and deep root systems—perfectly embodying Emma’s straightforward, somewhat prickly exterior that conceals surprising resilience.
- Hossein as Desert Marigold: Flashy, bright, and drawing attention with minimal actual contribution. Desert marigolds produce vibrant yellow blooms that dominate the visual landscape while requiring minimal effort—much like Hossein’s showy fashion sense and self-focused behavior.
This desert pairing demonstrates how contrasting personalities can actually coexist in the same harsh environment. Yuccas create microhabitats that benefit more delicate flowering plants nearby, providing shade and wind protection. Meanwhile, the marigolds attract pollinators that benefit the entire garden ecosystem, even if they seem primarily focused on their own display. Both thrive in similar well-drained soil conditions with minimal water requirements.
Plant yucca as an anchor point, then add desert marigolds around its perimeter where they’ll receive partial protection from afternoon sun. Both appreciate similar well-drained, sandy soils and infrequent deep watering, rather than frequent shallow watering. The yucca provides the foundation while the marigolds supply the seasonal drama.
If Emma provides the practical foundation and Hossein brings the distracting flash to their relationship, these desert plants demonstrate how substantially different personalities can coexist. Despite Hossein’s tendency to focus on himself (like taking calls during their wedding ceremony), their partnership endures in challenging conditions—proving that sometimes relationships persist even when one partner seems primarily self-interested.
Yucca flowers are edible and can be harvested for specialty culinary uses, while desert marigolds provide visual interest and attract beneficial insects. Together, they create a desert garden that’s both practical and visually striking—demonstrating that even mismatched personalities can create something interesting when properly spaced in the garden.
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Tionne & David: Elegant Climber Meets Sturdy Support
Clematis & Viburnum: The Queen and Her Reliable Companion
- Tionne as Clematis: Elegant, particular, and undeniably high-maintenance. Known as the “Queen of Climbers,” clematis demands specific pruning schedules, careful moisture management, and “cool feet, warm face” growing conditions—perfectly capturing Tionne’s picky, sometimes snobbish tendencies and sophisticated tastes.
- David as Viburnum: Reliable, adaptable, and easy-going with minimal fuss. Viburnums thrive in various conditions without demanding special attention, offering sturdy structure and a solid presence year after year (like David’s straightforward, dependable approach to life).
This pairing demonstrates how opposite personalities can create perfect garden harmony. Clematis requires a substantial structure to climb and support its dramatic flowering displays, while viburnum shrubs provide the ideal sturdy framework. The shrub’s dense foliage shades the clematis roots (giving them the “cool feet” they require), while allowing the climber to reach sunlight above (“warm face”). Meanwhile, the clematis adds spectacular seasonal color to the viburnum’s reliable, yet less showy, presence.
Plant a well-established viburnum first, allowing it to develop a strong structure. Then add clematis on the north or northeast side of the shrub, where its roots will stay cool while its vines can climb toward sunlight. Provide rich soil with consistent moisture for the clematis, while the viburnum will adapt to whatever conditions exist—one accommodating the other’s needs without complaint.
Tionne’s particular tastes and high-maintenance personality find the perfect complement in David’s steady, accommodating nature. Their relationship demonstrates how picky, sophisticated personalities can flourish when paired with reliable, easy-going partners willing to provide stability.
This partnership offers primarily ornamental rewards—spectacular clematis blooms climbing through the reliable structure of viburnum foliage. The viburnum may also provide berries that attract birds. Together, they create something more impressive than either could achieve alone, proving that even the most demanding personalities can create beautiful partnerships with the right supportive companion.
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Sam & Ali: High-Visibility Partnership
Dahlias & Nasturtiums: Showstopping Blooms Meet Spicy Spreaders
- Sam as Dahlias: Bold, dramatic flowers that command attention wherever they grow. Dahlias produce spectacular blooms in a multitude of colors and forms that instantly become focal points.
- Ali as Nasturtiums: Bright, spreading plants with distinctive round leaves and edible flowers that cascade abundantly. Nasturtiums bring their own vibrant personality while happily growing around more dominant plants.
This eye-catching duo creates visual drama while offering complementary benefits. Dahlias create the perfect backdrop for nasturtiums to spill around, with the nasturtiums’ spreading habit providing natural weed suppression and ground cover. Nasturtiums deter aphids and other pests that might attack dahlias, while their peppery compounds confuse insects that might otherwise target the showier blooms. Meanwhile, dahlias attract pollinators that benefit both plants.
Plant dahlia tubers in the spring, spacing them according to the variety (usually 12 to 18 inches apart). Once dahlias reach about 12 inches in height, sow nasturtium seeds around their base. The timing allows dahlias to establish before nasturtiums begin their vigorous spread. Both appreciate fertile, well-drained soil with regular watering—a partnership that enjoys slightly more pampering than some of our other pairings.
Just as Sam commands attention in social situations, dahlias become the instant focal point of any garden space. Meanwhile, Ali contributes his own distinctive energy to the relationship, spreading around Sam’s presence while providing practical benefits through pest protection and ground cover.
Cut dahlia blooms regularly to encourage more flowers, while harvesting young nasturtium leaves and flowers for their peppery addition to salads. This partnership offers both spectacular ornamental displays and edible rewards.
Pat & Sam: Defying Convention
Dill & Cucumbers: Breaking the Garden Rules
- Pat as Dill: Distinctive, slightly unconventional, and attracting beneficial connections. Dill stands out with its feathery foliage and strong personality, creating unexpected alliances.
- Sam as Cucumbers: Refreshing, adaptable vines that thrive with the right support system. Cucumbers spread comfortably when given proper guidance, producing abundantly in favorable conditions.
This pairing thrives despite conventional wisdom suggesting they shouldn’t—dill typically inhibits many garden plants, but makes an exception for cucumbers. Like Pat and Sam navigating cultural expectations, these plants forge a successful relationship that defies gardening norms. Dill attracts beneficial predatory insects that protect cucumbers from pests, while cucumbers provide dappled shade for dill during intense afternoon sun.
Sow dill between cucumber mounds, giving each plant enough space to express itself fully. Provide trellising for cucumbers to climb, keeping fruits clean, and maximizing garden space. For continuous harvests, succession-plant dill every few weeks, as it quickly goes to seed once mature.
Just as Pat and Sam create their own relationship rules despite external pressures, these plants demonstrate that breaking convention sometimes yields the best results. Their partnership shows how attracting the right connections (beneficial insects) protects the relationship from harmful influences (pest insects).
The ultimate pickle partnership! Harvest young dill for fresh eating, leaving some plants to flower and set seed for pickling. Combine with crisp cucumbers for refrigerator pickles that commemorate your favorite reality couple—tangy, distinctive, and surprisingly good together!
Richard & Kathleen: Overwhelming Dominance
Eucalyptus & Wildflowers: The Suppressor and The Suppressed
- Richard as Eucalyptus: Imposing, fast-growing, and inherently domineering. Eucalyptus trees release allelopathic compounds that inhibit the growth of plants beneath them, while their thirsty roots monopolize water resources (perfectly capturing Richard’s jerk-like tendencies and self-centered personality).
- Kathleen as Wildflower Mix: Colorful, diverse, and full of potential, but easily overwhelmed by stronger presences. Wildflowers would normally create a vibrant, thriving community, but struggle to even germinate in the shadow of eucalyptus (representing how Kathleen’s natural vibrancy becomes subdued in Richard’s domineering presence).
This mismatched pairing showcases classic garden incompatibility. Eucalyptus produces chemicals that leach into the soil and prevent other plants from thriving, while also creating dense shade and monopolizing available water. Despite wildflowers’ natural resilience in various conditions, they simply cannot establish themselves under such overwhelming competition.
For garden success, maintain a significant distance between eucalyptus and any wildflower plantings—the toxic zone can extend 30 to 50 feet beyond the tree’s drip line. Consider raised beds with barriers to prevent eucalyptus roots or leaf litter from infiltrating the growing space for wildflowers. This substantial separation represents the healthy boundaries needed when dealing with domineering personalities.
Richard’s controlling tendencies suppress Kathleen’s natural vibrancy and potential—much like the eucalyptus preventing wildflowers from establishing themselves. This pairing serves as a cautionary tale: the most beautiful garden personalities often struggle to express themselves when paired with domineering, resource-hogging companions.
When grown far apart, both can be successful—eucalyptus leaves can be harvested for aromatic oils and floral arrangements, while wildflowers provide beauty, cut flowers, and support for pollinators. This demonstrates that sometimes maintaining appropriate distance is the only way to prevent one partner from undermining the other’s growth.
Happily Ever After? Your Garden’s Relationship Future
Just like navigating the complex terrain of cross-cultural relationships, your garden can become a thriving community of mutually beneficial partnerships or a cautionary tale of incompatibility. Whether you’re matching Mediterranean herbs, creating high-visibility pairings, or identifying toxic influences that need separation, companion planting reveals relationship dynamics.
Remember that the most successful plant relationships, like human ones, respect each other’s needs while offering complementary benefits. Some provide structural support, others deter pests, and some simply prove that not every pairing is meant to last.
Which 90 Day Fiancé UK couple does your garden most resemble? Are you cultivating a showstopping Sam and Ali dahlia-nasturtium display, or perhaps dealing with a Richard and Kathleen eucalyptus-wildflower situation that needs immediate intervention?
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