5 perfect plant combos from RHS Badminton 2026

Putting the right plants together not only makes your borders or container displays look amazing – it also creates plant communities that are more resilient to challenges like heat and drought.

Inspired by the brand new flower show at RHS Badminton, here are five pre-made designer plant combinations to choose from.

1. Perfect prairie planting

The cast: 

1. Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass)
2. Salvia ‘Nachtvlinder’ (sage ‘Nachtvlinder’)
3. Salvia yangii ‘Prime Time’ (perovskia ‘Prime Time’)
4. Crambe maritima (sea kale)
5. Seseli elatum subsp. osseum

As used in: The Julia Rausing Garden by Tom Stuart-Smith
 

Feathery swathes of Stipa tenuissima create a soothing matrix through which other choice drought-tolerant plants flow. The overall effect is incredibly calming, and allows individual plants to be appreciated in their own right while together creating a resilient, low-maintenance community. This combination works at all scales, whether you have a vast area to cover, a small corner, or just a few pots.

Highlighting the cow-parsley-like dainty white heads of Seseli elatum subsp. osseum, designer Tom Stuart-Smith says: “This is a very unusual

Biennials are plants that complete their life cycle over the course of two years. In the first year, biennials typically produce leaves and roots but no flowers. In the second year, they flower and produce seeds before dying. Some common biennials include foxgloves (Digitalis), honesty (Lunaria annua) and viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare).

biennial that’s rarely used. Though it looks like cow parsley, it flowers in summer rather than spring, and is very drought-tolerant – in fact, it’s best in stony ground. It’s very free-seeding too – all in all a delightful little plant.”

2. Beat the heat in style

1. Agastache ‘Peachie Keen’
2. Achillea ‘Terracotta’ (yarrow ‘Terracotta’)
3. Centranthus ruber (red valerian)

“I decided on a colour palette of oranges, pinks and purples,” says designer Henry T. Pope. “Agastache ‘Peachie Keen’ combines both the pale orange of Achillea ‘Terracotta’ and the dusty pink of Centranthus ruber, so they work really well as a trio. The achillea opens orange and fades to pale yellow, creating even more interest.”

While the Achillea and Centranthus are both robust hardy perennials, the Agastache is half-hardy, so may need some protection during cold spells in winter. Alternatively, it can be grown as an annual and

A method of growing new plants from parts of an existing plant, such as sections of root, stem, leaf or bud. When prepared correctly and planted in the right conditions, they can produce roots and eventually become independent plants. There is a wide range of different methods for taking cuttings, depending on the plant and time of year.

cuttings taken each year – a worthwhile effort for a striking specimen plant.

3. Luscious looks for shade

1. Campanula lactiflora ‘Loddon Anna’ (milky bellflower)
2. Geranium ‘Dreamland’
3. Astrantia major ‘Buckland’ (masterwort)
4. Hakonechloa macra (Japanese forest grass)
5. Cyrtomium fortunei (Fortune’s cyrtomium fern)
6. Dryopteris filix-mas (male fern)

4. Pretty in purple

1. Verbena bonariensis (purple top vervain)
2. Tulbaghia violacea (society garlic)
3. Liatris spicata (button snakewort)

As used in: The Split Hazel Basketry Garden by Henry T. Pope

“Keeping a restricted colour palette really helps, as it means things tie in together without being overwhelming,” says designer Henry T. Pope. “It doesn’t mean fewer plants, but keeping things simple and repeating plants is surprisingly effective.”

Try playing with plants in a similar colour palette but with contrasting flower forms – such as the spikes of the Liatris with the rounded heads of Tulbaghia and tall, airy sprays of Verbena bonariensis – to create a simple yet effective display.

5. Pollinator paradise

The cast: 

1. Verbena officinalis ‘Bampton’
2. Oreganum vulgare (oregano)
3. Scabiosa columbaria subsp. ochroleuca (pale yellow scabious)
4. Oryzopsis miliacea (smilo grass)
5. Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla ‘Eva’ (black-leafed elder)

As used in: Silo: All that comes in remains by Abigail Stoyle

This opulent blend of purples and bronzes is not only drought-tolerant and looks fabulous; it also provides a varied buffet for pollinators. The verbena and scabious are loved by butterflies, while the oregano supports moths and the flat heads of the black elder are perfect for hoverflies.

The rarely used Mediterranean smilo grass, Oryzopsis miliacea, ties it all together with airy bronze flowerheads that give the planting a textural lift. This underused grass was also one of our 8 star plants from RHS Badminton 2026.

 

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About the author – Olivia Drake

With a background in plant sciences, Olivia is passionate about plantsmanship, biodiversity and sustainable horticulture. She is trained as a botanical horticulturist and previously worked in public gardens around the UK and overseas.