The plant to rule them all

[mystang89]

We are doing our landscaping finally and purchased a few plants I thought would go together. My wife thinks they clash and so I was wanting to find a plant that brought them all together.


That is the front of my house where I am landscaping. In the middle is where I want to put the 2 plants (same plant, just 2 of them). They will be the entrance to my door so I wasn't something that brings everything I'm planning together, something that isn't too tall (3 or so foot tall).

I'm planting Carmel Coral Bell in front of a Japanese Painted Fern. Those are really going to be what people see but then the smaller plants are in the picture along with hostas.


My wife says that the Bell and Fern are too much of a fall color and that the other flowers would stand out to much. I need something that will help here.

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum

In the photo of the flowers, will it be the shown colour or the written colour? Honestly I think it really doesn't matter. I often think the best combinations are where things clash - that way each flower stands out. When you go for all one colour, or similar colours, they tend to blend in more. I'm a big fan of using complimentary colours - yellow and purple, blue and orange, red and green.

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

I agree that strong contrast often makes the most interesting garden designs. Plants and nature are wonderfully restful enough without monocultural plantings and monotone color schemes. Admittedly, planting Caramel Co al-bells (Heuchera x 'Caramel') immediately next to Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum') is contrast at its most avant garde. Why not? Go for it.

However form should follow function. Both Heuchera and Athyrium are plants best planted in bright or dappled shade.
That photo of the front of your house looks as open and sunny as any I've ever seen. Where exactly will you be planting the Coral bells and Fern?

The photo of the Daylilies (Hemerocallis cvs.) is a non-sequitur. Are they the 'smaller plants' mentioned? If so, I assure you they will not be any smaller, or less visible than Heuchera and Athyrium, nor would Hosta, which is also mentioned but not shown.