Bonnie, Thornbird is one of those I'm looking for companions for- the plum color of Allium is a good idea! What varieties of Allium do you grow? Some of the larger ones seem to decline over time for me, are some reliably perennial for you? I love Poppies too, and there are some Oriental Poppies on the market that appear to have some muted coloring, 'Manhattan' being one I've got my eye on. They look more pink in some pics though. The coral pinks of Poppies are great with a lot of those shades of Irises. If had had raised beds, I would use lots of creeping Phlox with beardeds- I do love that combo!
Sherry, I LOVE your gardens! I could tell from several of your Iris pics that there was a lot of beautiful stuff going on just outside the frames of the pics. The way you've designed it so that there is plenty of space between plants not only shows the clumps and whole plants off well, but is culturally wise- I think that's a key to using TBs in the mixed garden. I see you also use a lot of Geranium biokovo 'Karmina', which is one of my favorites with Irises! I've had Hot Cocoa on my list for years (I halted bringing new roses to the garden for a few years till I could eradicate Rose Rosette Virus, but it's been over a year since I've had a new infection, so new roses are on the way
). Because I'm such a sucker for bright, clear colors, I've looked over a rose called 'Distant Drums', but considering muted color combos, I think I need to consider it:
With weather patterns being so wonky and unpredictable, I never really know what is going to bloom together from one year to the next. Some years the TBs bloom with many of the Roses, others they bloom well before Roses while late Tulips are blooming. I typically choose a color scheme for an area, and choose plants with bloom times throughout the season that fit. That way whatever happens to bloom at the same time will coordinate.
There are lots of color patterns among Columbine that work nicely with TBs. I love those I already grow, and would like to try some others.
Considering late Tulips, which often bloom with many TBs, have any of you checked out the brownish colored Tulips that Old House Gardens offer? I've found them intriguing, but wouldn't they be scrumptious with autumnal toned Irises!
