Spring Blooming Shrub Vignette with Fantastic Three Season Foliage

This trio of colorful shrubs has a bit of everything—in late spring it's a riot of bloom. The blowzy and showy blooms of the ITOH peony are a show stopper and are complemented by the quieter, but lovely white froth of bloom on the golden deutzia. The dark foliage of the dwarf barberry plays to the central eye on the peony. Substituting Berberis 'Goruzum ' Golden Ruby™ for B. 'Concorde' would work equally well and would skew the overall scene towards a warmer vibe.

In the pictured example, the peony is elevated in a raised bed. If your situation isn't as such, you'll want to distribute the plants in your beds so that they won't block each other from view. For example, situate the peony and deutzia toward the back and the dwarf berberis in between them towards the front. 


Growing Conditions

Zone: 5, 6, 7, 8
Exposure: Filtered Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun
Water Needs: Average

Design Considerations

Style: City and Courtyard, Northwest Eclectic
Features: Zippy Color Contrasts, Varied Foliage, Texture, and Form, Deer Resistant, Fabulous Foliage, Flower Fest
Focus: Mixed Border, Pleasing Seasonal Flow, Small Space
Seasons of Interest: Spring, Summer, Fall, Pleasing Seasonal Changes, Three Seasons of Interest

Care and Maintenance


Maintenance Level: medium



Plants In this Combo