Wandering round the Chelsea Flower Show provided some great inspiration for planting combinations. For a combination of deep red flowers, the slightly crooked spikes of Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’ mixed in with the nodding heads of Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Winky Red’ (but would look equally good with Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’) and the taller spikey Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’. Mixed in with grasses (the native Deschampsia cespitosa or purple moor grass, Molinia caerulea) provides a backdrop for the strong red flowers and gives the planting movement as the wind ruffles through.

Red flowers: Persicaria, Molinia caerula, Aquilegia ‘Red Winky’, Burnet, Astrantias

Dark red flowers that would work equally well instead of or as well as include Astrantia major ‘Claret’, Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’, Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Red Thunder’ or the shorter Sanguisorba ‘Tanna’ for the front of a border.

Salvia nemorosa, Thalictrum and grasses

At the other end of the spectrum the mixture of the dark violet-blue stemmed Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ with its dark violet-blue flowers mixed with the tall spikes of Lupinus ‘Blue Gallery’ and Nepeta (such as Nepeta x faassenii or Nepeta racemosa ‘Walkers Low’). To break up the blue splashes of pastels had been added in, the lilac and pinks of Knautia macedonia ‘Melton Pastels’.

Lupins

Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’

Alternatively, salvias (in this case Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’) were mixed in with white camassias, Camassia leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii ‘Alba’, the tall stems of Dianthus carthusianorum with their deep red buds opening to magenta flowers. All set off against a background of the deep purple-black leaves of Sambucus nigra. Whether choosing Sambucus nigra f.  porphyrophylla ‘Gerda’ or the finer leaved black lace sambucus (Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’) either would make a stunning background to the planting.

Chelsea 2017: Salvias with camassias, dianthus and euphorbias

I love planting combinations that include strong architectural elements, the spires of lupins along with the tall stems and large umbels of Angelica (the seedheads still look good even when the flowers are long over), the spikey cirsium. All softened with wispy leaves (fennel or cosmos), pastel dots of Knautia macedonia ‘Melton Pastels’ and the white balls of paeonies (such as Paeonia lactiflora ‘Immaculée’ or Paeonia ‘Starlight’).

Chelsea 2017: Chris Beardshaw’s garden – formal topiary with angelica, lupins and cirsium.

Or using formal hedging or topiary, box (Buxus sempervirens) or yew (Taxus baccata) cones or hedging softened with informal planting around them, plants such as cosmos and grasses flopping over a low hedge or against the cones. Perhaps roses in the centre of a border mixed up with salvias and achillea all contained within a formal hedge, playing around with textures and colours is half the fun.

Formal box hedging softened with roses