Flower combination tips

Flowers have to mesh together in a complimentary way in terms of colour, texture, plant/bush size and needs.

What you need to know:

  • Ekkehard Spiegel of CIDI Training Centre for Gardening and Landscaping, Muyenga, explains that plants help each other thrive, and strategically partnering those plants in your flower bed does wonders.
  • Sylvia Mukalazi describes herself as a very passionate gardener who wanted a bit of everything in her small flowerbed.

Flowers with their color and fragrance elevate home with beauty. You can either choose to grow individual flowers or create combinations. The trick to a fabulously colourful garden is picking the right plants to grow together.
When choosing combinations, look for a selection that adds visual variety in terms of colour and height. One should also select a combination of flowers that bloom at various times throughout the year so that the garden will always have colourful blooms. Ekkehard Spiegel of CIDI Training Centre for Gardening and Landscaping, Muyenga, explains that plants help each other thrive, and strategically partnering those plants in your flower bed does wonders.

“Usually, it depends on what a person is looking for whether it’s esthetics or a specific location. If done well it brings new life to a garden,” says Lillian Katiso of Maua and More.
Sylvia Mukalazi describes herself as a very passionate gardener who wanted a bit of everything in her small flowerbed. “I started combining complimentary colours, and then went on to plants that serve overlapping purposes.

“For example, I planted shorter long-blooming plants in front of an evergreen shrub, this way my garden always looks in season and the colour riot is amazing,” adds Mukalazi.
“Another good consideration is plants that complement each other according to aspects such as height. A plant that would best complement the upright ornamental plants such as Dracaena, for example, would be a ground covering plant such as Portulaca grandiflora,” explains Spiegel.

Spiegel says plants which have a strong scent are considered to have a pest repellent effect and should be considered highly for infusing in our combinations. Good examples of these are society garlic, rosemary and lavender.
“If one combines plants for their ornamental values, it would be important to have leaf texture or flower colors which are harmonious. Combining Heliconias of different height can give a very harmonious and natural look,” adds Spiegel.

Working combinations
Here are some amasing flower combinations you can try out;
• Dwarf narcissus and glory of the snow. A yellow, early-flowering, dwarf narcissus will complement china-blue Glory-of-the-Snow.
• Hyacinths and pansies. Pair pink hyacinths with dark purple pansies.

• Tulip and windflowers. Bright red tulips go well with tiny white, daisy-like Grecian windflowers.
• Cosmos and larkspur. Pink cosmos with purple or mixed larkspurs is a quick and wonderful combination.
• Goatsbeard and chamomile. The elegant feathery cream-colour blooms of goats beard pair beautifully with the cheerful, daisy-like flowers of chamomile.

More combos
• Clematis and coneflower
The vines of purple clematis will happily clamber through the stems of yellow coneflower creating a feast for the eyes.
• Morning glory and lilacs
Plant a few morning glory seeds around a lilac bush because too many would obscure the lilac’s leaves.