I think I need to add some vibrant gold foliage to that last combo. I think one thing that makes that work so well is that it ties the color scheme together between bloom cycles of the flowering plants.

Sue, I agree- gold, peach, orange with blues and purples is so striking. I love playing with complimentary colors- just looking at a color wheel is helpful finding the right companion plant.

Sue, I think I'm getting it!

I think my mental block has something to do with plants that display colors I would normally find clashing. A lot of bearded Irises have unusual color combinations, and Goldflame Spirea has always been a plant that I like, but haven't been able to "see" it in the garden- because the bright blooms have always seemed off to me with the gold/amber foliage. Now I'm seeing that shocking contrast as lovely and quite workable.

Good-looking combinations, Neal.

Now there is a combo that sings to me!! And you picked several good iris that would work well with the Spirea. I have this one planted next to it. In the first photo, you can see just a bit of the shrub in the lower corner.

Colette is gorgeous! The spirea brings out her warmth, and I love the ...rose I think, behind her, echoing that bright beard!

I've been thinking on why I've had a creative block with blending these tones, especially after having admired your pics and gardens, and Sherry's too. I think I was seeing your landscapes as very California, an extension of the natural landscape of that unique zone. It's like subtly shifting your focus, and seeing things previously unnoticed.

I love this image, the Heuchera and Sedum are perfect companions.

Susan has some stunning combos, all her images are so inspiring!

Neal, that rose is Brothers Grimm and tricky to match up with anything as it demands center attentionbso I am trying iris eith bright orange/red beards. I planted Undercurrent by it and that rose is getting so big I may have to move the iris further away. Think I'll do some photo combos like yours to see what else may do well with that rose once I get home, I am limited on my cell phone.

Sue, I'm glad you mentioned that- I keep seeing varying degrees of orange, pink, coral, and even a touch of yellow as I browse pics of Brothers Grimm. It looks like it does pick up whichever of those colors are nearby. Susan's garden is a great inspiration!

You are correct on all those colors for that rose! Plus the best looking rose foliage I have ever seen, shiny deep green!

Susan's garden photographs are outstanding. Mebbe we can get her to chime in, here.
@stilldew

Easier to move the iris than the rose. ☺

For years I have toyed with the idea of a monochromatic bed of reds of all shades. A highly visible area has recently been cleared of old shrubby growth, and it has me thinking seriously about it now.

One thing I notice when I do the garden tours is the lack of use of white irises in the beds. Either scattered with other plantings or just as a foil for the bolder and brighter irises. White is not my favorite color in irises but I have a few in different sizes and I have noticed they give different depth to a flower bed when viewed from a distance and really make the colored ones pop. Especially if you pair a white iris with a contrasting beard that matches the color scheme of that bed.

Neal, I LOVE those reds together. Bishop is my favorite Dahlia.

Neal, I had added this to my Pinterest board as I loved the warm color combo with the red iris.
(not my photo)

I love white iris, pink too. My garden is an intuitive mess. Let's see what "springs" up.

An "intuitive mess" -- sounds like eclectic, to me. And I love eclectic!!!

My intuition works most of the time. I can't imagine trying something new, but maybe.

I put the rebloomers near the foundation to bump them another zone. They are surrounded by some sort of self planted mustard that is absolutely delicious and winter viable.

Most of my tags faded out. Good thing I entered all my acquisitions to the plant list. Blooms might have to be awaited for better tagging. Then there are the 1000 noID's from Craigslist.....

My big thing this year is to try Actinovate for powdery mildew on the squash and Copper Sulfate for daylily rust. The iris had very little rot or pests.

Calendula made a lovely scene. Ornamental Oregano and Globe Thistle are lovely foliage around the iris and then get big while the iris fade to swords. Yellow tea roses and baby boxwoods look good too.

Bonnie, I bet that lack of white in Iris beds is because there are so many muted colors among Irises, and bright sparkling white makes them look dirty. I have a handful of whites that I use in various spots around the garden, one I love has big, bright, orange beards and I've planted orange Poppies nearby. Another I love is lacy and ruffled (I think it is Laced Cotton) that grows in beds among blues and yellows.

Sue, that garden has a lot of the same plants I use in my bed of fire colors. It's interesting to watch it develop in spring, first it's all the bulb plants, clear yellows, oranges, and reds from Daffodils and Tulips, and some white (from white/orange Daffs)- all very sparkly and bright. Then as late spring comes, the colors deepen when Irises and foliages start shining, and the overall look becomes autumnal, then it brightens up again with early summer flowers- Lilies, Daylilies, Coreopsis, etc. In fall I worked on incorporating some bright pops of reds, golds, and oranges (red and orange Poppies, orange flowering Quince, red azalea) to the late spring display, and removed the 'Firecracker' Lysimachia that I liked a lot, but it had become a thug. I would like to find some other red/gold/bronze foliage accents that are well behaved and can offer some height.

Linnea, I'm so going to steal that term "intuitive mess"! LOL Very much describes me too! I start with broad plan, then let intuition guide my hand, ...and then do a lot of moving things around. I'm glad you mentioned Calendula, I used to grow them and loved that early display with the later Irises!