Great garden design starts with the right plant combinations. While individual plants can make an impact, it is how they come together that creates landscapes with lasting beauty, balance, and ease. Thoughtful pairings not only elevate the overall look but also contribute to healthier, more resilient, and low-maintenance spaces.
Sunset® Plant Collection varieties are selected for performance, adaptability, and real-world success across a range of climates. When combined with dependable evergreen structures like Better Boxwood®, these plants create layered, cohesive designs that blend form, color, and texture in a way that feels natural and well balanced.
The result is a landscape that looks polished without feeling overdesigned. Flowering shrubs, pollinator-friendly varieties, and drought-tolerant selections add depth and movement, while shared growing needs help simplify care over time.
To help you get started, we have curated three plant combinations that pair Sunset selections with Better Boxwood’s structure, making it easy to create a garden that feels cohesive, intentional, and designed to thrive!
Classic Color
In this companion planting, classic, evergreen form meets vibrant blooms and rich foliage contrast for a layered, high-impact result.
- Heritage™ or Babylon Beauty™ Better Boxwood®– Known for their traditional shape and dependable growth, these varieties provide a strong, rounded evergreen foundation that works beautifully in both formal and informal designs.
- Ever Amethyst™ Agapanthus – Bold violet blooms add vertical interest and a clean, architectural element above the boxwood.
- Butterfly Candy™ Buddleia – Compact and continuously blooming, it brings pollinator activity and vibrant color without overwhelming the structure. With multiple varieties available, there’s a perfect fit for every garden, including:
- ‘Miner’s Merlot’ Euphorbia – Deep burgundy foliage adds contrast and softens the look with airy texture.
Ideal Use: Foundation plantings, mixed borders, and pollinator-friendly garden beds where structure and seasonal color work together
Soft Structure
This combination pairs clean, evergreen structure with soft, seasonal color for a look that feels both polished and inviting. The rounded forms of boxwood and pittosporum create a strong foundation, while dianthus adds a vibrant layer of blooms that brings warmth and movement to the design.
- Renaissance™ Better Boxwood® – With its compact, rounded habit and dense foliage, ‘Renaissance’ creates a smooth, tailored look that is perfect for low hedges, borders, and detailed garden patterns.
- Beach Ball™ Pittosporum – Naturally rounded and dense, ‘Beach Ball’ complements ‘Renaissance’ with a softer form while maintaining evergreen consistency.
- Raspberry Surprise Scent First® Dianthus – Double pink blooms with a rich burgundy center bring vibrant color and a soft, mounded texture to the front of the planting. Its compact habit makes it ideal for edging and containers, while repeat blooms add long-lasting seasonal interest.
Ideal Use: Front-of-border plantings, entryway containers, or small garden spaces where structure and color work together seamlessly
Vertical Accent
Designed for tight spaces, this combination brings height, color, and texture together in a clean, balanced way. Vertical structure is complemented by bold blooms and low-growing detail, creating a planting that feels both efficient and visually dynamic.
- Skylight™ Better Boxwood® – Naturally upright and narrow, ‘Skylight’ is perfect for adding height without taking up too much width—ideal for tight spaces or vertical accents.
- Ever Twilight™ Agapanthus – Reinforces vertical interest with bold blooms while adding color contrast.
- SuperSemp® Sempervivum – Grounds the planting with low, textural interest and drought-tolerant performance.
Ideal Use: Entryways, narrow beds, and containers where vertical structure and layered plantings maximize space while maintaining a clean, architectural look
Design Tips:
When choosing what plants to pair with one another, keep these design principles in mind:
- Start with structure: Use evergreen shrubs, like Better Boxwood varieties, as the foundation of your design. Their dense, year-round form creates a strong framework that anchors surrounding plants.
- Layer for depth and dimension: Combine plants of varying heights, such as low growers like Sempervivum, mid-height shrubs, and taller bloomers like Agapanthus, to create a balanced, layered look.
- Play with contrast: Pair fine or airy textures (Euphorbia) and strappy foliage (Agapanthus) with the dense, compact form of boxwood to create visual interest.
- Design with repetition: Repeating structural plants like boxwoods throughout a space creates cohesion.
- Think seasonally: Incorporate flowering and pollinator-friendly plants like Buddleia to bring movement and color during peak seasons, while evergreens maintain structure year-round.
- Match growing conditions: For long-term success, group plants with similar sun, soil, and water needs—this ensures healthier growth and a lower-maintenance landscape.
The most successful gardens are built on thoughtful combinations where structure, color, and texture work in harmony. By pairing Sunset Plant Collection varieties with dependable evergreen foundations like Better Boxwood, you can create landscapes that feel balanced, intentional, and easy to maintain.
Ready to get started? Explore the full Sunset Plant Collection and discover plants designed to thrive together, and visit your local garden center to bring these combinations to life in your own space.