Google Font Pairings, Previewed on Real Pages
A free font pairing generator for Google Fonts. Pick one of our font pairings, or choose your own heading and body fonts, and see the combination on an article, a homepage and a landing page.
Use These Fonts
On WordPress? Most themes, including GeneratePress, have a Typography setting where you can pick these two fonts by name instead.
How to Divide Perennials in Fall
Dividing crowded clumps every few years keeps hostas, daylilies and asters blooming. Here is when to do it, what you need, and how to replant.
- Best time
- 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes
- Tools
- Spade, garden fork, sharp knife
- Time needed
- About 20 minutes per clump
Most perennials slow down after a few years in the same spot. The center of the clump gets woody and crowded, the roots compete for water, and you see fewer flowers each summer. Dividing the plant fixes all three problems at once, and it gives you free plants for the rest of the garden.
Fall is the easier season for most gardeners. The soil is still warm, so new roots keep growing, while the cool air means the leaves lose less water. Plants divided in late September usually settle in well before winter, and you will notice the difference in next year’s bloom.
When to Divide
As a rule, divide spring and early summer bloomers in fall, and late bloomers like asters in spring. Give each division at least a month of root growth before the ground freezes. In zone 5, that usually means finishing by early October.
Signs a Clump Needs Dividing
- The center has died out, leaving a ring of growth.
- Flowers are fewer and smaller than last year.
- The plant has spread past its spot in the bed.
Divide in fall when the soil is still warm and the air is cool. The roots keep growing for weeks after the leaves stop.Tom Reyes, head gardener
| Plant | Divide every | Best season |
|---|---|---|
| Hosta | 3 to 4 years | Spring or early fall |
| Daylily | 3 to 5 years | Late summer |
| Bearded iris | 3 to 4 years | July to August |
| Aster | 2 to 3 years | Spring |
| Peony | Rarely needed | Late September |
How to Divide a Perennial
- Water the plant well the day before so the root ball holds together.
- Cut back the leaves to about 6 inches to make the clump easier to handle.
- Dig around the clump, 6 inches out from the stems, and lift it with a fork.
- Split it with a spade or knife so each piece has three to five growing points.
- Replant at the same depth, water deeply, and add 2 inches of mulch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I divide perennials while they are blooming?
You can, but the plant puts its energy into flowers instead of roots. Wait until blooms fade, or cut the flowers off when you divide.
How small can a division be?
Each piece needs healthy roots and at least one growing point. Smaller pieces take a season or two longer to fill out.
Keep Reading
Grow a Garden That Comes Back Every Year
Plant profiles, zone lists and copyable garden plans for home gardeners who want color without the constant work.
Start With Your Light
See all listsLatest Guides
All guidesThe Monday Garden Letter
One short email a week with what to plant, cut back and divide right now in your zone.
Plan Your Beds Before You Buy a Single Plant
Drag plants onto a bed drawn to scale, see what blooms each month, and get a shopping list sorted by nursery.
No credit card. Works on any device.
Beds Drawn to Scale
Set the length and width, and every plant takes up its real mature spread.
A Bloom Calendar
See which weeks the bed has color and fill the gaps before spring.
One Shopping List
Quantities, spacing and sizes, grouped by where you plan to buy.
I planned my whole front border in an evening and bought exactly what fit. Nothing died in a corner this year.
Dana K., zone 6bSimple Pricing
Questions
Does it know my growing zone?
Enter your ZIP code once and every plant shows whether it grows in your zone.
Can I print my plan?
Yes. Gardener and Designer plans export a printable layout with a plant key.
What happens if I cancel?
Your beds stay saved on the free plan, and you can export them any time.
How to Use the Font Pairing Generator
Start with a pair from the Font Pairs list, or open Custom Fonts and choose any heading font and any body font. The preview updates straight away on three templates: a blog article, a homepage and a landing page, in light or dark mode. If you are not sure where to start, answer two questions about your site, what kind of site it is and how it should feel, and the list narrows to the pairs that fit.
When you find a combination you like, Use These Fonts gives you the embed code and the CSS to copy, plus a link you can share. Full Screen shows the sample page at the size of your browser window.
What Makes a Good Font Pairing
A font pairing is a combination of two typefaces, one for headings and one for body text, chosen so they look different but work together. The most reliable pairings contrast in style while sharing similar proportions: a serif heading over a sans serif body, such as Playfair Display with Source Sans 3, or the reverse, such as Montserrat with Merriweather. Pairs from one type family, such as DM Serif Display with DM Sans, are a safe choice because they were designed to be used together.
Two fonts are enough for most websites. Give the body font priority, since readers spend most of their time in it: it needs a regular and a bold weight, an italic, and comfortable spacing at 16 to 18 pixels. Keep expressive display fonts for headings, where their character helps instead of tiring the reader.
Popular Google Font Pairings
These combinations suit a wide range of sites. Each one opens in the preview above.
- Montserrat and Merriweather: A geometric sans over a sturdy serif that stays readable at any size.
- Poppins and Lora: Rounded, friendly headings with a warm serif for body text.
- Playfair Display and Source Sans 3: High-contrast editorial headings with a clean, neutral body.
- DM Serif Display and DM Sans: Designed as one family, so the two always agree.
- Oswald and Lato: Condensed, news-style headlines over an even, friendly body.
- Libre Baskerville and Karla: Classic book-style headings with a modern sans body.
- Bebas Neue and Open Sans: Tall all-caps headlines balanced by a very plain body.
- Instrument Serif and Instrument Sans: An elegant modern pair from the same family.
Font Pairing Guides and Free Alternatives
Go deeper with a guide for a specific font, or find a free Google Font that matches a paid one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions people ask most about font pairings.
Are These Fonts Free to Use?
Yes. Every font in the generator comes from Google Fonts and is released under an open license, most often the SIL Open Font License, which allows personal and commercial use on websites, in print and in apps.
Can I Use These Font Pairings in Canva?
Many of them. Canva includes a large part of the Google Fonts library, among them Montserrat, Poppins, Lora and Playfair Display, so you can rebuild these pairs in Canva by choosing the same fonts by name.
How Do I Add These Fonts to WordPress?
Open Use These Fonts, paste the embed code into your site’s head and the CSS into your theme’s custom CSS. Many themes, including GeneratePress, also have a Typography setting where you can pick both fonts by name. If you have visitors in the EU, consider hosting the font files yourself instead of loading them from Google.
How Many Fonts Should a Website Use?
Two is the usual answer: one for headings and one for body text. A third font can work when it has a clear job, such as a monospace font for code. More than that tends to look unplanned and slows the page, since every font adds files to download.