Favorite Combination: Caladium, Coral Bells, and Hostas

My front porch faces east and I have a large oak tree in my front yard. Consequently, my front porch is shady. The area next to my front door gets no direct sun and it's fairly shady. I struggle to find colorful plants that will grow in this space. I have finally found a great combination: caladium, southern comfort coral bells, and thunderbolt hosta.

Favorite Combinations: Variegated Red Twig Dogwood and Pink Asiatic Lilies

I bought these Asiatic lilies at a big box store and found them on the clearance rack for $1 a pot. I love the clearance racks.  Once the plants are past their prime, they are heavily discounted. I bought three pots and they have established a large healthy stand. I'm sorry that I can't remember the name of the cultivar. My computer crashed last year and I lost my plant name database. 

Asiatic lilies are easy to grow.  When I dig the hole to plant the lilies, I throw a handful of compost in the hole and mix it into the dirt in the bottom of the hole. In the spring, I top dress the soil around the lilies with some extra compost.  After the flowers bloom, I remove the deadheads to encourage more flowers.

The read twig dogwood bushes are one of my favorite shrubs.  They provide a lovely backdrop for perennials in the spring, summer and fall.  In the winter, the bright red color of their new growth branches provide some winter garden interest. Red twig dogwood thrive in full sun but will tolerate some shade.  In the spring, I prune out the old and dead branches and trim the bush into a rounded shape. I also spread a shovel of compost around the base of each bush and mulch the bushes with chopped up leaves.

Favorite Combinations: Autumn Sunset Climbing Rose and Blue Light Clematis

Autumn sunset climbing roses are one of my favorite climbers.  It grows in zones 5-10.  In zone 5, it blooms prolifically for me in May and June and I get sporadic blooms over the rest of the summer and fall. It blooms better in cooler rather than hotter weather.  I add some composted horse manure to it every year and make sure to water it weekly in really dry weather. It has been easy to grow.

Blue light clematis has a gorgeous blue flower. It thrives in zones 4-8 in full sun to part shade. I planted it next to my climbing rose and it uses the rose as a climbing support. It blooms most prolifically at the blooming peak of the autumn sunset rose so they look stunning together. Like the autumn sunset, it blooms sporadically throughout the summer except for in the intense heat of August. Like the rose, it gets a shovel full of composted horse manure every spring and weekly waterings during dry periods. This clematis was a slow starter for me. The first couple of years, it only bloomed a little and the vine was quite small.  It's in its fourth year and now produces an abundance of blooms.

Favorite Combinations: Coreopsis, Salvia, and Hardy Geranium

One of my favorite combinations of plants that bloom this time of the year is May Night Salvia (Salvia sylvestris), tickseed (coreopsis grandiflora), and hardy geranium 'Max Frei' (geranium sanguineum).

May night salvia is one of my favorite perennials.  It's easy to grow and intensely colorful for long periods of time. It's bluish-purple color complements the colors of most plants in my garden. It grows in zones 4-8 and prefers full sun.  It has the most intense blooming period in May and June. However, if I shear it off after it blooms, it will rebloom for me throughout the summer. My only complaint about the plant is that it smells a little like cat pee. Fortunately, the foul smell isn't detectable unless I place my nose close to the plants.

The coreopsis grows in zones 4-9 and blooms from May/June until frost for me in the heart of zone 5. It's easy to grow. It thrives in full sun and is drought resistant.

The hardy geranium grows in zones 3-8 in sun.  It's supposed to grow in part shade, but mine has always died in part shade. It blooms most prolifically in May and June for me, but I get some sporadic blooming throughout the summer.