Have you ever ‘weeded’ out a plant – sure that it was a nuisance only to realize later that it was something you intended?
I have. About 5 years ago I inadvertently massacred about eight Baptisia australis that I planted the previous spring. They hadn’t bloomed (given their first year status) so a year later, I had entirely forgotten them and presumed them to be some new unrecognized pest – (and for crying out loud, they were everywhere!) – so I pulled them. The whole time, I kept thinking ‘whatever these weeds are, they sure do have some healthy roots and nice foliage’. (Duh.)
So, I have no baptisia in my garden, but I am thinking that the painful memory is now distant enough that I should try again. Lesson learned. There are some really beautiful hybrids whose colors would be so beautiful in arrangements with my early summer peonies (they bloom around the same time). I love my vases full of nothing but big blowsy peony blooms, but I think I could up my garden arrangement game with a few easy additions. 
I am pretty sure that some mixing and matching would look equally as nice as these, but here is what I think I’ll try first:
Combo #1: It is still soft and pretty, but the baptisia adds texture and height and the coleus turns the sweet to sexy (Isn’t that what fishnet stocking are all about?)
- Decadence ‘Vanilla Cream’ False Indigo Baptisia
- Fishnet Stockings Coleus Solenostemon scutellarioides
- Any pale pink or white peony
Combo #2 This all about ombre and drama. The baptisia in this mix is like the smoky dark eyeshadow and the extra swipe of mascara.
- Decadence ‘Dutch Chocolate’ False Indigo Baptisia
- Mariposa Coleus Solenostemon scutellarioides
- Any dark red or magenta peony
images: 123rf.com and Proven Winners
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Proven Winners. I am not an employee of Proven Winners and all opinions are my own.
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