If you’re overwhelmed by the vast choices at the nursery, picking the right plant combination can transform any garden. Five top garden designers share their favorite flower pairings to create an eye-catching landscape suitable for various climates.
Christina Koether, a garden designer and the owner of Nomadica in Weston, CT, blends her expertise with a microflower farm operation. She suggests pairing ‘Krinkled White Peony’ with ‘Blue Ice’ Amsonia. This combination showcases the tall, white peony above the shorter blue amsonia. Even without blooms, the amsonia’s foliage impresses, offering a lovely yellow hue in autumn.
Koether recommends another pair: ‘Purple Coneflower’ with ‘Wild Quinine’. Both native to the Northeast, they offer a unique visual. Goldfinches are attracted to echinacea seeds, providing summer-long blooms. These thrive in medium soil and full sun. For ground cover, consider foamflower and wild blue phlox, which attract early butterflies.
For those seeking a deer-resistant garden, she offers a combination of ‘Millenium Allium’ and ‘Montrose White’ Catmint. Reliable and eye-catching, this duo blooms late in summer. Add texture with Mexican feathergrass for a dynamic garden.
For vibrant and long-blooming options, mix ‘Great Masterwort’ with ‘Bumbleberry Salvia’. This duo offers stunning cut flowers and thrives in part sun.
Naomi Goodman, from Firecracker Design Studio, suggests a prairie-style garden with ‘Common Yarrow’ and ‘Showy Fleabane’. Suitable for the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, this combo is both water-efficient and wildlife-friendly.
Sarma Ozols, based in New York City, pairs ‘Eastern Red Columbine’ with ‘Golden Alexander’. Their complementary blooming schedules provide continuous color.
In New York’s Hudson Valley, Marissa Angell combines ‘Dark Knight’ Scabiosa with ‘Cherry Brandy’ Black-eyed Susan. The result is a balanced and striking palette with bonus seedheads.
Finally, Ward Dilmore from Petrus Landscaping in California incorporates ‘Iceberg Roses’ with ‘Purple Salvia’. This timeless white and purple combination complements numerous landscape designs.
These floral pairings promise to elevate any garden, offering beauty, durability, and ecological benefits.
