Re: Happy combinations

Ah, this is what I subscribed to the perennials list for!

Combinations I love (accidental or on purpose) include:

1. Echinops ritro with purple & white liatris and lavender
daylilies;
2. Red & pink roses with penstemon 'Husker Red," geranium
'Johnson Blue," and alchemilla mollis;
3. Practically any digitalis with roses & columbine;
4. Tall grasses with sedum Autumn Joy & asters;

My all time favorites are along a wide, shady brick walk with an
eight foot deep bed on one side against our neighbors' house, which
is painted blue.  This is primarily a gold & green bed, with
large plain green hostas, gold and gold variegated hostas, yellow
daylilies, a tall variegated iris, blue columbine, yellow ligularia
(przewalski), rodgersia, white, pink, & late purple astilbe, and
some large & small blue hosta for contrast.  Blue camassia spikes
in the spring are lovely with pink bleeding hearts, blue woodland
phlox, and tiarella.  A couple of white foxgloves did well last year.
Corydalis lutea (short, ferny foliage, everblooming yellow flowers)
seeds itself throughout, along with some viola labradorica, epimediums,
and of course clumps of ferns, including that rich grey one (athyrium
niponicum 'Pictum').  Two clumps of dark purple heuchera at the front
and a nice stand of hakonechloa 'Aureola' (golden variegated low grass),
set off the edges.

I had clumps of 'Helen Elizabeth' oriental poppy with deep blue
salvia superba and late white tulips until our 106 degree heatwave
wiped out the poppy in 1996.

To keep this short, I'll stop here but will be happy to correspond
with anyone at length on this wonderful topic.

My first post, after only a week of observing.  No restraint at all.

Anne Long
Zone 6/5b
Urban Gardener
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