The Garden Guy received quite a few comments and messages from a recent Facebook post picturing a Let’s Dance Sky View hydrangea in partnership with a Pyromania Backdraft red hot poker or torch lily. This prompted me to ask Google to show me photos of hydrangea partnerships or combinations in the landscape.

The results brought back old memories. Your humble Garden Guy is a former director of the American Rose Society and its gardens of the American Rose Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. It wasn’t long after I was there that I asked some rosarian about rose bush companions in the garden. A puzzled look came on his face. I soon realized the companions were more roses.

It seems after consulting Google that the hydrangea issue of partnerships was indeed more hydrangeas. The difference is that in the rose scenario, it is lining up 250 roses in rows like marching soldiers. I assure you these gardens were spectacular. The hydrangea display I saw was different: informal beds with curves, etc., but nonetheless all hydrangeas. These landscapes, like the roses, were stunning.

So, this column is dedicated to the hydrangea lover who might be thinking about possible partnerships. I’ll tell you I’ve already written a column or two on "Panicles Without Partners" so this will be geared toward the other guys.

By other guys I am referring to the French hydrangea, which is not really from France, also known as the mophead. Another common name is bigleaf, which is a synonym for the botanical name hydrangea macrophylla. If you get out a ruler, you’ll see others with big leaves, and now we have hybrids of hydrangea macrophylla and hydrangea serrata, which are drop dead gorgeous.

I moved into my house 7 years ago and there wasn’t a single hydrangea. Almost all of mine are from the Let’s Dance or Tuff Stuff collection. They all appreciate some shade from the hot afternoon summer sun here in my Zone 8 Georgia garden. The acidic soil means most of my varieties will be blue to purple with perhaps a few pink days.

It seemed natural for me to plant Shadowland hosta varieties that had strong yellow or gold variegation to contrast with the blue hydrangea blooms. Shadowland Coast to Coast with chartreuse foliage is also awesome.

These are for the most part used in proximity or even intermingled with the hydrangeas. Soprano impatiens and Heart to Heart caladiums are some of my other favorites to use in this method. My backyard positioning allows me to plant sun-loving plants in front of the hydrangea blooms. This gives the notion of sun and shade working in harmony.

My garden slopes, with the highest level being the shady area swooping downward to the sunny area closest to the house. So this works for blooming perennials like Pyromania Backdraft red hot poker, Indian Summer rudbeckia, Uptick coreopsis and Hollywood hibiscus, which gives the illusion of being connected to a shade garden.

At the side of the house where daylilies are located, I have again chosen Let’s Dance hydrangeas for the shade with Rainbow Rhythm daylilies in the sun just a few feet away. I’ll admit I probably didn’t ask Google properly to try to find hydrangea partnerships. Oddly most of the photos I found were mine. As we enter planting season know this: Planting hydrangeas with companions may just get you started on the most garden fun you have ever had.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)

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