7 dreamy plant combinations from RHS Sandringham 2026

Whether you have a huge border to fill or just a few pots in a corner, a well thought-out combination of plants – which not only look good together, but actually enjoy similar conditions and help each other thrive – can create an effect way above and beyond the sum of its parts.

Inspired by the newest RHS show, here are seven perennial

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

combinations that will work hard in your outdoor space for years to come.

1. Turn up the heat

The cast:

1. Echinacea (coneflower) ‘Hot Summer’
2. Imperata cylindrica (cogon grass) ‘Rubra’
3. Salvia (sage) ‘Royal Bumble’
4. Euphorbia × martini (Martin’s spurge) Miner’s Merlot

As used in: The Royal Legacy Garden by Catherine MacDonald

Why it works: within a restrained red and burgundy colour palette, interest is created by contrasting flower and foliage forms that all share these tones, creating heat and vibrancy in a way that remains sophisticated

Perfect for: a sunny spot that can get quite dry, as all of these plants are fairly drought-tolerant, or a gravel garden or a grouping of pots.

2. Pretty in pink

The cast:

1. Dahlia merckii (Merck dahlia) – N.B. may need winter protection
2. Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver’s Root) ‘Lavendelturm’
3. Achillea millefolium (yarrow) ‘Cerise Queen’ (‘Lilac Beauty’ would also work)

As used in: The RHS Pollywiggle Garden by Joe & Laura Carey

Why it works: a refined feel created by a unifying colour scheme in which interest is generated through contrasting flower forms (spires, flat heads and daisies)

Perfect for: a moist border that still gets plenty of sun.

3. Complementary colours

The cast:

1. Kniphofia (red-hot poker) ‘Papaya Popsicle’
2. Stokesia laevis (Stokes’ aster)

As used in: Mindful Chef’s Gathering by Sophie Godber

Why it works: orange and blue/purple are on opposite sides of the colour wheel (complementary colours), meaning they really pop when put together as a result of the colour contrast. There’s also a pleasing contrast between the spire and flat, daisy-like flower shapes

Perfect for: a sunny spot in a dry border or gravel garden, as both plants are fairly drought-resistant once established.

4. Scrumptious in shade

The cast:

1. Geranium Dreamland
2. Ajuga reptans (bugle)
3. Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian bugloss) ‘Alexanders Great’

As used in: 100 Sweet Summers by Kitti Kovacs

Why it works: interest is generated by the three contrasting leaf shapes. Pale pink flowers are also offset beautifully by dark foliage

Perfect for: a shady spot or pot display in shade.

5. Stylish in salmon

The cast:

1. Achillea (yarrow) ‘Lachsschönheit’ (previously also known as ‘Salmon Beauty’
2. Digitalis purpurea (foxglove) ‘Sutton’s Apricot’

As used in: Time to heal (Long Border) by Dr Sarah Fleming

Why it works: as in no. 3, this combination plays with contrasting flower forms within the same colour palette

Perfect for: a moist border that gets some sun.

6. An iconic duo

The cast:

1. Geranium Rozanne
2. Achillea ‘Terracotta’

As used in: RNIB Talking Books Garden by Paul Hervey-Brookes

Why it works: two classic, long-flowering stalwart perennials that again create a perfect blue-orange complementary colour contrast. This combo works well in a trough planter for me at home, with Anemanthele lessoniana grass weaving through for textural lightness

Perfect for: a border or container that sees some sun.

7. Potted perfection

The cast:

1. Oenothera linheimeri (white gaura)
2. Sanguisorba ‘Tanna’
3. Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane)

As used in: 100 Sweet Summers by Kitti Kovacs

Why it works: uses the ‘thriller, spiller, filler’ rule of designing a planted container, which ensures plants occupy different spaces within the arrangement – Oenothera is the thriller, Sanguisorba the filler and Erigeron the spiller. The pink hues in the gaura and Erigeron are picked up in the magenta of the Sanguisorba

Perfect for: a container that sees some sun.

• Have you spotted our 8 star plants of RHS Sandringham ?