Carla Zambelli sent in a bunch of really wonderful photos of her garden in high summer, but I was particularly caught by those showing daylilies planted with hydrangeas. Carla says that one of the things she likes best is the contrast of the daylilies with the hydrangeas. They are indeed beautiful together, and both are tough, reliable plants that will thrive in a wide range of conditions.

I asked Carla if she knew the names of her daylilies, and this is what she said:

OK, you know where I am a really bad gardener? I see things and I think to myself, “They are perfect,” and then I forget what the cultivars are. I can tell you who I purchased all the daylilies from plant by plant, but as far as cultivars, I am so bad. I am going to have to start writing things down.

I try to plant everything with the tags, but as time progresses and I add more shredded leaves or wood chips for mulch, they disappear.

The thing about daylilies is that I buy them for the color. They don’t get purchased because they are rare or anything like that per se; it’s based on the color. I love white daylilies, but my obsession the past few years has been the reds. I also like the pink and the ruffly daylilies depending on the color because they look so ladylike. I don’t know how else to describe it.

Every once in a while I will pick up daylilies on clearance from a big box store to plug a hole, but for the most part I spend the money to shop from nurseries I know because then I’ll avoid things like daylily rust.

I’m sure every gardener can identify with that, but the lesson if you want to recreate Carla’s beauty in your own garden is pretty simple: Buy colors you love from good nurseries, pair them with hydrangeas, and don’t let the details get you down! I’m sure you’ll agree the result is pretty wonderful.

A bold red-and-gold daylily looks amazing paired with the greenish flower heads of smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arboresecens, Zones 3–9).

Another fiery red daylily (Carla thinks this one might be ‘Apache’) growing alongside the creamy white flowers of panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata, Zones 3–8).

Another view of the same combination. Hydrangea paniculata cultivars vary a lot in height. If yours are too tall to mingle with your daylilies like this, you can prune them back hard in the spring to keep them shorter.

This blue lace-cap-type bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla, Zones 6–9) cools the hot tones of the daylily.

Many different daylilies around a Hydrangea paniculata make a cheery summer scene.

And some daylilies are so pretty they look good all by themselves.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

If you want to send photos in separate emails to the GPOD email box that is just fine.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

You don’t have to be a professional garden photographer – check out our garden photography tips!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

XLUX Soil Moisture Meter

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

- Large and clear dial, including ten scales, plug and read
- Simply insert the moisture meter into soil and you'll get the test result instantly
- Single probe, less hurts to the roots, doesn't dig up too much soil after test

Buy at Amazon

Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Featuring gorgeous photography and advice for landscapers, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West is dedicated to the idea of a new nature—a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated—that can nourish in our cities and suburbs.

Buy at Amazon

Morvat Heavy Duty Brass Y-Valve

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

- Instantly create two tap outlets with this ultra-durable Y hose splitter. The dual-valve design features built-in shut-off valves.
- Fitted with US Standard NH 3/4" threads for use with most water source fittings
- Screw the 2 way splitter adapter by hand or wrench with the updated hexagonal top connection. The 360° rotatable swivel connection attaches to any water source.

Buy at Amazon