Creative Combination Plantings for Sun & Shade!

​3 Combinations for Sun, 3 Combinations for Shade - Plus A Bonus!

Ever walk into a Garden Center and find yourself overwhelmed with choices? You're not alone! Pairing plants with one another isn't always the easiest task, so we hope the following combinations for sun and shade offer inspiration for your next planting project! The Nursery Professionals at our Garden Center are pleased to assist you with choosing alternates for any of these suggestions or dreaming up entirely new possibilities to suit your specific landscape needs.

Experience the Seasons - For a landscape that retains its beauty and sparks wonder every season of the year, consider seasonal color and bloom time when pairing plants together. Also, combine evergreen shrubs and grasses with those that go dormant in the Winter.

Combination Plantings for Sun

Autumn Bonfire® Encore® Azalea & Touch of Gold® Holly
Like other Encore® Azalea varieties, Autumn Bonfire® blooms Spring, Summer, and Fall. It's vibrant red blooms against crisp, green foliage contrast well with the bright yellow and green combination of  Touch of Gold® Holly.

Autumn Bonfire® Encore® Azalea
Part Sun to Full Sun. 3' H x 3.5' W.
Touch of Gold® Holly
Full Sun to Part Shade. 2' H x 4' W.

Lomandra Breeze™ Grass & Butterfly Bush
Combine the light and airy texture of evergreen Lomandra Breeze™ Grass with the colorful, sweetly-fragrant blooms of Butterfly Bush for a landscape that comes to life with movement! From the gentle sway of the grass as the breeze passes by to busy pollinators sipping nectar from the Butterfly Bush blooms, this pairing keeps things interesting. 

Lomandra Breeze™ Grass
Full Sun to Part Shade. 3' H x 3' W.
Butterfly Bush
Part Sun to Full Sun. Size depends on variety.

Little Lime® Hydrangea & Darrow's Blueberry
Little Lime® Hydrangea is a petite, yet prolific bloomer that boasts large, lime-green to white blooms that age to a blush-pink in Fall. Darrow's Blueberry is a dwarf, evergreen blueberry that bears fruit in Spring after a flush of light-pink blooms. In Fall, the attractive blue-green foliage of this blueberry takes on blush to scarlet tones, coordinating well with the hydrangea's color-changing blooms.

Little Lime® Hydrangea
Part Sun to Full Sun. 3-5' H x 3-5' W.
Darrow's Evergreen Blueberry
Part Sun to Full Sun. 2' H x 2' W.

Combination Plantings for Shade

Summer Crush®  Hydrangea & Sunshine Anise
Pair the eye-poppingly colorful blooms and lush green foliage of the Summer Crush® Endless Summer® Hydrangea with the bright and cheery yellow leaves of evergreen Sunshine Anise for a vibrant display throughout the Summer.

Summer Crush® Hydrangea
Part Shade to Shade. 1.5-3' H x 1.5-3' W.
Sunshine Anise
Part Shade to Shade. 5' H x 3' W.

October Magic® White Shi-Shi™ Camellia & Soft Caress Mahonia
Bright white blooms and glossy evergreen foliage give October Magic® White Shi-Shi™ Camellia a classic look. Pair this Fall-blooming camellia with the feathery evergreen foliage and vibrant yellow Winter blooms of Soft Caress Mahonia and you have quite a dynamic duo!

October Magic® White Shi-Shi™ Camellia
Part Shade to Part Sun. 3-4' H x 3-4' W.
Soft Caress Mahonia
​Part Shade to Part Sun. 3' H x 3.5' W.

Burning Love™ Leucothoe & Carex EverColor® Everillo
Color and texure that lasts all year! Evergreen Burning Love™ Leucothoe spices up the shade with deep red growth in Spring that ages to green, followed by dark purple Fall color. Plant this little gem next to the dramatic yellow color and fine texture of evergreen Carex EverColor® Everillo for a showstopping combination!

Burning Love™ Leucothoe
Part Sun to Shade. 2.5' H x 2.5' W.
Carex EverColor® Everillo
Part Shade to Shade. 1-1.5' H x 1-1.5' W.

BONUS - Container Combinations!

Don't have a place to plant in the ground? No problem - We have ideas for containers as well!
You may have heard the phrase "Thriller, Filler, and Spiller" used when describing the necessary ingredients for stunning mixed container plantings... It really works, and the possibilities are endless! Check out the following  combinations created by our Assistant Garden Center Manager:

Elephant Ear (Thriller), Persian Shield, Coleus, and Oyster Plant (Fillers), and Creeping Jenny (Spiller)

Lobster Claw plant (Thriller), Carex and Coleus (Fillers), and Variegated Ivy (Spiller)

​Whether you're refreshing plantings in existing containers or want to start fresh with a new pot from our extensive collection of outdoor pottery, our talented Nursery Professionals are eager assist you with creating unique combinations for any season! Visit our Garden Center for inspiration!