GARDENING Expert: Make your plants look like they belong together

Pick what appeals to you, and put the tall ones in the back, gardeners suggest.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Some things just go hand-in-hand -- hammer and nails, Tom and Jerry, macaroni and cheese.
But when it comes to the garden, choosing plants that compliment each other can be a bit more challenging.
"There are a lot of things to think about," said Frank Bennett, owner of the Columbus Flower Market.
From color and texture to height and growth conditions, certain plants make good companions for one another.
As gardeners get back into the swing of planting, experts share their tips on pairing the right plants.
THE RIGHT SPOT
Before the first pack of flowers makes its way into your basket, keep this in mind: Plants should be grouped according to their sun, shade and water requirements.
"That's one of my biggest pet peeves," Bennett said. "People will buy plants because they look good together and not realize that one requires sun and the other requires shade."
The same works for watering conditions, he said. Some plants prefer desertlike surroundings, but others are complete water hogs.
Though most nurseries categorize plants according to sun lovers and shade lovers, they leave the water requirements to guessing. Check the tags on the plant before committing to a combination.
Some shade-loving plants that look good together are variegated hostas, leather leaf ferns and lamium, Bennett said, and a mix of red verbena, lamb's ear and salvia works well in full sun.
Mahlon Hutto of Nathan's Feed & amp; Seed in Columbus said one of his favorite sun-loving combinations is a mix of perennials, like pineapple sage, yellow cone flower and Mexican petunias.
"They don't all bloom at once, so you have color at different stages," Hutto said.
THE RIGHT COLOR
Everyone has a favorite color combo. So when you're choosing bright blooms for the garden, there's really no right or wrong answer.
"It's a matter of individual taste," said Hank Bruno, trails manager at Callaway.
Shades of yellow and blue are a common favorite, especially among pansies.
"Yellow is such a bright, energetic color that blue really brings it down a notch," said Helen Phillips, manager of Rocky Branch Nursery.
Pinks, whites and reds also compliment each other, Phillips said, as can be seen in the azaleas around town.
"The red just makes the pinks look pinker and the whites look whiter," Phillips said.
Since bulbs have started dying back this spring, now is a good time to remove them and substitute tulips and daffodils with other bold colors, such as the ones found in varieties of snap dragons and foxgloves.
Dianthus, columbine, bleeding heart begonias and Virginia bluebells are some other colorful flowers that can handle the transitional spring weather.
HEIGHT AND TEXTURE
Though color is often considered to be the main factor in flower combos, a good design also incorporates a variety of heights and textures.
"Beginning gardeners tend to gravitate to things that are blooming," Bennett said, while the sophisticated gardener is drawn to plants with interesting foliage.
Textured plants, like the wispy fronds of an asparagus fern or the spiny leaves of a holly, provide eye appeal to any color combination.
Brent Daniel, senior vice president of Best Nursery in Columbus, likes grouping hollies with spirea and variegated abelia with loropetulum.
"Hollies have a crinkle leaf, which adds transition to the garden," Daniel said.
Ferns, one of Phillips' favorites, create a mellow atmosphere.
"When you put them next to stones and rocks, it looks like something nature would have done on its own," Phillips said.
A good mix might include the orange spikes of an autumn fern, the roundish leaves of a bronze begonia and a group of impatiens.
Garden designers often groups plants in odd numbers, with tall plants in the back, medium-size plants in the middle and low-growers in the front.
This gives the garden a layered look, Bennett said.
"If you plant flowers all at the same level, they start to look crowded," he said.