Gold and blue makes a stunning color combination. Plants that have gold- or yellow-colored leaves all year long typically look best in late summer and autumn, when the slant of the sun is more gentle and temperatures moderate. You can take advantage of these plants at this time—plus those with leaves that turn gold in autumn—by placing plants with late-season blue flowers near them, such as:

*    Blue spiraea/bluebeard/blue mist, such as Caryopteris xclandonensis ‘Longwood Blue’ (Zones 5 to 9)
*    Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides; Zones 5 to 9)
*    Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia; Zones 5 to 9)
*    Autumn-flowering California lilac, such as Ceanothus burkwoodii (Zones 9 to 11)

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1. Tip of the Week: Designing Winter Containers
2. Q&A: What is late blight?
3. Summer-Blooming Trees