source: Better Homes & Gardens
What plants go together? Think about color, season of bloom, and shape, but also care needs when you're planting. It can be a lot to keep track of, so, to get you started, use these favorite combinations to bring more life to your landscape.
Mix Herbs & Perennials
Create a colorful and fragrant spring garden by mixing flowering herbs and perennials that bloom together in May and June. In this border, chives and lavender bloom in front of Amsonia, bearded iris, and peony. The variety of heights helps make this garden bed for full sun look full and lush, especially during late spring when everything is in bloom.
Use Roses Generously
Roses, particularly shrub and landscape varieties, blend well with annuals or perennials from spring to fall. In this garden, a bright pink shrub rose is a good partner to iris. The difference in foliage makes for good contrast. Both like full sun and well-drained soil, and are hardy in Zones 5-9.
Rely on Annuals
Hot, sunny conditions are no match for annuals such as petunia and pentas. These two plants are super easy to grow and will bloom nonstop from May to September in containers or borders. They both also attract bees and butterflies. Give them a spot in full sun with well-drained soil, and they'll add color to your garden all summer.
Raise the Flag
Who can resist a red, white, and blue garden? This flower-packed fence line contains just three varieties, so it's easy to duplicate the look. Surround 'Scarlet' Flower Carpet roses with white sweet alyssum and dark blue lobelia. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil, and this trio will bloom through the fourth of July.
Brighten the Shade
Shady spots in your garden don't have to be barren and boring. There's a host of shade-dwelling annual and perennial flowers that will add instant impact to any location. Here, a carpet of bright green sweet woodruff fronts a bed of Japanese hakone grass and a cluster of blue- and chartreuse-leaf hosta varieties.
Hydrangea Highlights
Most Hydrangeas bloom from midsummer to fall, making them ideal partners for mixed flower borders. In this garden, a large 'Annabelle' hydrangea anchors a border packed with perennials and annuals. Other flowers here include begonia, sweet alyssum,
An empty, shade-filled spot can be the perfect place to play up the contrast in color and foliage between just a few types of plants. Here, delicate lacecap hydrangea pairs with the full blooms of 'Endless Summer', and is complemented by the brightening effect of golden