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Boost Your Garden’s Brilliance with These Spectacular Plant Pairings

Your garden with these spectacular plant pairings



Many plants that provide more visual impact are perennials. This doesn't mean they're aggressive, but if planted in masses (or sometimes singly), they can quickly get out of control, engulfing their neighbors or dominating the design. A useful strategy I use is to pair strong plants with partners of similar character. This allows the players to keep each other in check without much intervention from me. 


Pairing 1


1. 'Standing Ovation' Small Bluestem (Schizagrium scoparium 'Standing Ovation')



Zones: 3–9

Size: 2 to 4 feet tall and 1½ to 2 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; Well-drained soil

Origin: North America


2. Calamint (Calamintha nepeta sub. Nepeta)



Zones: 5–7

Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to part shade; Well-drained soil

Native range: Southern Europe to Great Britain


Why it works: Calamint is a very elegant plant, with airy white flowers in spring that perfectly complement the powder blue leaves of the small bluestem. Most of the time the grass stays neat over the winter and into the following spring.


Pairing 2


3. ‘Totally Tangerine’ Zium (Zium ‘Totally Tangerine’)



Zones: 4–7

Size: 30 inches tall and 18 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun to part shade; Moist, well-drained soil

Native Range: Hybrid


4. ‘Wesuwe’ salvia (Salvia nemorosa ‘Wesuwe’)



Zones: 3–8

Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun; Well-drained soil

Native range: Europe, Asia

   Why it works: This color pairing isn't subtle, but it's sure to catch the eye. Deep orange geum flowers hang tenderly on airy stems and bloom for several weeks in late spring. They perfectly set off the deep purple flowers of 'Vesuvae' salvia, which will continue to bloom through summer without looking shabby.


Pairing 3


5. 'Terracotta' Yarrow (Achillea 'Terracotta')



Zones: 3–8

Size: 2½ to 3 feet tall and 2 to 2½ feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; A lean, well-drained soil

Native range: North America, Europe, Asia


6. 'Rosenkuppel' Oregano (Origanum 'Rosenkuppel')



Zones: 5–8

Size: 1 to 1½ feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun; Well-drained soil

Native range: Mediterranean region, Southwest Asia


Why it works: 'Terracotta' is a great plant when someone isn't in poor soil, so don't fertilize it! Its orange umbels fade beautifully to dried flowers in early summer. That's when oregano's plum blossoms are dull. I can't get enough of this combination.


Pairing 4


7. Frost grass (Spodiopogon sibiricus)



Zones: 4–9

Size: 3 to 5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun to part shade; Moist, well-drained soil

Native range: China, Korea, Japan


8. 'Carolina Moonlight' Baptisia (Baptisia 'Carolina Moonlight')



Zones: 4–9

Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun; Moist, well-drained soil

Native Range: Hybrid


Why it works: Frost grass has beautiful pale green foliage (stems set horizontally) that turn a beautiful maroon color as summer progresses. It can grow somewhat in shade, but in sun I like to mix it with 'Carolina Moonlight', which is competitive enough to hold its own against larger grasses.



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Location: United States

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