| I have 2 Goldflame spireas along one side of my patio. (They were supposed to be Goldmound which has an easier color palette.) There is a narrow flower bed and a stone path on the opposite side connecting to a widening flower bed along the fence. The shrubs can be seen from both sides, by me on the patio side, or when I walk the path, and by my neighbors on the outside. The gold/orange color in spring followed by pink flowers in early summer, followed by glowing orange in fall and early winter, can be a bit difficult to work with. I have the patio side underplanted in Princes Irene tulips(orange blend streaked with purple) for early spring bloom. The back side has orange/salmon oriental poppies which bloom above the shrubs, and look glorious for a week! I start dark foliage tall cannas in the house in early spring and plant 3 in a row just behind the poppies just as the poppies finish. The cannas fill up the hole left by the poppies (and my neighbors don't have to see the dying foliage.) I have a dark blue purple viticella clematis on the fence on the other side of the path. The clemmie blooms from early summer, with some rebloom into fall, and doesn't look too bad with the pink summer flowers & green summer foliage of the spirea, which can still be seen from both sides since the cannas are still short. In summer I also plant pots on the patio in front of the spirea, usually using dwarf green cannas & pots with overwintered small dark green evergreens, flanking some red-foliaged grass or millet, castor bean, etc. - anything big and bold that strikes my fancy. LOL A Sweet Autumn clematis (with creamy white flowers)takes over in September, when the spirea is turning orangy again. This kind of changing companion plants can be adapted for various types of spirea. It is definitely helpful to see the spirea go through its various looks, before planting other plants around it. Two things to keep in mind besides color: spirea have small leaves and a somewhat soft look, bold leaves or architectural plants set them off well; and those bitty $5 shrubs will grow to probably 3-4 ft round specimens very quickly! | 
