Do you have any pictures? I am loosing my sunny areas and thought I might try putting complimentary colors in a clump in the sunnier parts of my shade beds. For an example--a light pink with burgundy eye flower with and all pink flower and an all burgundy flower for one clump and a yellow with burgundy eye flower with an all yellow flower and an all burgundy flower.

Just a few examples from my garden:

I really like how you have echoed and emphasized the flowers' colors this way! Photos #2 & #5 really sparkle. The combinations make the flowers really stand out -- the whole effect is greater I think than the individual flower. What is the big pink/yellow spider in #5? It just dances above the grouping.

Very nice pictures, Sue! Glad you asked that question, Frankie. I had not thought about doing that before.

In considering what plants to put together, I would think you would want daylilies with similar heights and bloom seasons, right?

SunnyinMichigan said: I really like how you have echoed and emphasized the flowers' colors this way! Photos #2 & #5 really sparkle. The combinations make the flowers really stand out -- the whole effect is greater I think than the individual flower. What is the big pink/yellow spider in #5? It just dances above the grouping.

The spider is Watchyl Lavender Blue

blue23rose said: Very nice pictures, Sue! Glad you asked that question, Frankie. I had not thought about doing that before.

In considering what plants to put together, I would think you would want daylilies with similar heights and bloom seasons, right?

I usually combine cultivars with a special rule in my mind.
The principle is called 'the king and his court' - you look for a 'king' cultivar that you want to stage. Ideally, this is a very showy one. To this I combine 2-4 colour-matching or complementary plants (two or three colors, not more) with different flower forms, sizes and scape heights and strengthen the effect of the king without stealing the show. The flowering times of these groups should at least overlap so that there is an overall picture with all flowers.

Sometimes a bed is filled with a special color combination that last from ee to vla - e.g. my front garden bed in red and yellow:

Thanks, Sue. That is very pretty!

The pictures are perfect and show what was in my mind. I'm not totally crazy! Now I am going to start moving things around.

This is something I love to do --in my mind at least if it doesn't always happen right away. You start with DLs that are blooming at the same time. Bring a bouquet inside and see which colors go well together. Then mark the plants so that even if you don't transplant them right away you know where they are when you get around to it!

For me, this works because the colors are complimentary but mostly the green throat on each echos the throats on the others.

I am really enjoying seeing how you all have staged your plants. Lots of good ideas here!

Beautiful, Pat!