Favorite Plant Combinations

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Favorite Plant Combinations

1MarianV
Jul 3, 2007, 1:40 pm

Today my "Europeana" floribunda rose is blooming behind a big clump of Lady's mantle. They look so pretty together.
Just wondered if you all had favorite combinations of flowers. Actually I have a book somewhere called Combining flowers or something like that about flowers that liked the same kind of growing conditions, but can't find it.

2tardis
Edited: Jul 4, 2007, 11:06 am

hmm - MarianV, you might want to edit that touchstone - I don't think "Flowers for Algernon" is what you wanted :)

Anyway, plant combinations...

My herb garden is looking lush right now - thyme, golden oregano, sage, chives, garlic chives, tarragon and sorrel. The chives and thyme are blooming but the rest are just various greens in different leaf shapes, sizes and textures and I find it very pleasant and soothing to look at.

My red Champlain rose with the purple clustered bellflower are nice too. Strong colours, so they work well together.

I have a book by Penelope Hobhouse - Color in your garden which gives lots of good info. The Well-designed Mixed Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust is helpful too.

3florahistora
Jul 4, 2007, 9:05 am

Ladies mantle looks good with about everything. Last weekend I made loose arrangements of flowers for a party - hydrangeas, pink and blue mop heads, with light and deep pink landscape roses and used the flower of the ladies mantle as filler - beautiful and quick!

Other favorites: yellows and yellow greens with blues and purple.

White flowers with various colors of green.

I also admit to liking the crazy quilt approach to color and texture.

But I agree with tardis that the variety of color and texture in an herb garden is extremely satisfying.

This is a quick response and I will have to think about my favorite horticultural colorists, modern and historical.

4krystolla
Jul 4, 2007, 3:30 pm

My favorite mix at the moment is back in my butterfly garden: purple coneflowers, orange coneflowers (sunset something, I think), raspberry wine monarda and orange "ditch" lilies. As an added bonus they are tough enough to handle the neglected back corner bed and still look dazzling -- attracting goldfinches and hummingbirds all summer into fall.

5bettyjo
Jul 6, 2007, 12:28 pm

for ideas...I really like Colors in the Garden by P. Allen Smith...he has some great combinations.