No pics, but my favorite combo is a large planting of Achillea 'Fireland' intermixed with a rusty red daylily with a gold throat, all backed by a row of Agastache foeniculum 'Blue Fortune' and behind them a line of Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'. Spectacular and looks that way for many weeks.

No pics either, but one of mine is my pink shrub rose with liatrus, balloon flower, and coropsis nearby. Another is hydrangea, globe thistle, baby's breath, and husker red.

Very pretty proudgrma! I love new gold lantana with victoria blue salvia and trailing petunias.

Bumblebeez, is that a combo you could use in a window box or container? What color were the petunias? Do you have a picture?

'Jack Frost' brunnera accompanied by a groundcover of the blackish Leptinella!

'Coronation Gold' yarrow and bee balm......

Here is a link that might be useful: June 2006

Ferns, Hosta, Asarum europeum.
Peonies and Bearded Iris, Alchemilla mollis.
Kirengeshoma palmata, Asarum europeum, Cimicifuga ramosa.
Astilbe thunbergii, Cimicifuga acernina, Athyrium nipponicum.

Beautiful combos! Hi Chelone - - I ventured over here from NE gardening.

These aren't necessarily all perennials, but there's a perennial or two in each combo:

Coreopsis 'Moonglow', Ilex crenata 'Steeds' and Echinacea purperea 'Kim's Knee High'. The informality and breeziness of the coreopsis is a great contrast to the formality and stiffness of the Ilex, and makes for a great focal point at the entrance to the side walkway. The echinacea was a welcome volunteer.

Allium 'Sensation', Juniper 'Gold Cone', Lavender creeping phlox, knockout rose foliage and blooming Fothergilla gardenii (will try to get a photo tomorrow, as this new combo is peaking now). The bright green tips of the gold cone subtly set off the purples/lavenders, the rest adds texture and depth to a monotone color scheme.

Lamb's ear, blue matted dianthus with pink flowers (can't remember name), Sedum A.J., hens & chicks, and Sedum 'Vera Jameson' amidst white and gray rocks. This is mostly about interesting form in an area I tend to linger in. Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' factors in later in the season.

Rosa rugosa, creeping wooly thyme, lavender and hens & chicks.

Lady's mantle with Geranium 'Jolly Bee' and May Night Salvia.

And here's one I'm hoping will be fabulous, just planted:

Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver's root), little bluestem grass, echinops ritro (globe thistle), a dwarf blue pine, and purple monarda.

I tend to go for texture and form with a monotone color scheme that changes in each section of my gardens.

I don't have photos of all my favorites, but these are some of the most reliable perennials (with some shrub combos, too).

Cameron

Lavender and nepeta:

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Colocasia and buddleia 'Pink Delight'

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Spirea 'Neon Flash' and echinacea Rubinstern 'Ruby Star'
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Here is a link that might be useful: my gardening blog

Sorry proudgrma! But I don't have any photos. I went through all my pics...and I don't seem to be taking a lot of pictures in July!
But yes, I do think victoria blue and a yellow lantana would work in a window box. But I don't think they would come back in your area. I usually only get 3/4's of my Victoria's coming back each year here. I believe both are only zone 7 hardy.
But here, they bloom from now until frost and look great together so that's why I mentioned them.

I've got quite a few combos that have turned out beautifully over the years:

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Echinacea "Magnus" and Monarda "Raspberry Wine"

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Acillea "Summerwine", Sedum "Purple Emperor", Coreopsis "Zagreb"

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annuals and perennials in happy harmony

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Geranium "Johnson's Blue" and Dianthus "Rose de Mai"

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Snapdragons "Rocket", Agastache "Acapulco Rose", Delphinium "Blue Butterfly", Centurea montana, Achillea "Coronation Gold"

Those are really beautiful combos folks.......

a2zmom, I do 'Magnus' with 'Jacob Cline' bee balm but I can see that the 'Raspberry Wine' you have is perfect.....

Cameron...Your nepeta and lavender are so nice......

Just great ideas here here, good thread.....

Paul from Alabama

What beautiful combinations, a2zmom! I like the combo of some annuals mixed in with perennials. It adds a lot of ongoing color to the garden. Thanks to all for your posts, especially with pictures. I'm inspired!

I like to try new things. Last year I got several clematis at Home Depot for $3 or $4 a plant. I just let them grow thru the perennials and roses--interesting look.

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Foxgloves look nice with salvia (May Night).

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Both these were new last year and turned out well.

Both annuals.

Pansies and Alyssum.

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My favorite combination the last few years has been a border with Raspberry Wine Monarda, White Liatris, purple Balloon Flower, Poppy Mallow (vivid pink) and daylilies in hot colors red, orange and yellow. It's a riot of color in high summer and I love it!

Here is a photo of my current favorite combo in flower (juniper 'Gold Cone', allium 'Sensation', lavender creeping phlox, knockout rose foliage and blurry baby fothergilla in background. When the rose and fothergilla grow in it will be even better):

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All of your photos are gorgeous. I feel like I haven't really figured out how to make my digital camera work well for closeups.

proudgrma, love your opening combo. Very soothing.

wonberherwits, the lavender and catmint combo is gorgeous.

proudgrma, the garden with the annuals and perennials is my "anything goes" garden' I never put the annuals in the same place, I always try a new plant or two (I just planted cuphea this evening for the first time) and if there's an inch of room, I shove in something else! My other gardens are a bit more orderly.

sinai, the monarda/echinacea combo was a very happy accident. When I bought Raspberry wine, no local nurserys were carrying it, so I bought it on the internet solely based on the photo. It's turned out to be a fantastic plant and I love the color. This year I'm planting Gaura "Siskiyou pink" and Dianthus "artic fire" in front of the coneflower. I'm hoping all four plants together make a great combo.

Did anyone take pictures of the combos they were planting at the time of this thread that they can add to their posts?