Good morning. I also planted a few of these shrubs. I think the leaf color and shape is awesome. Last spring, I bought a Golden Elder to plant behind it. I think the contrast will look nice when they both 'grow up'. I'm sure you will get lots of useful suggestions for shrubs. Since I have a large area to plant in, I'm going to keep an eye on this topic to get some other suggestions. Marg

Because they're so dark, I have a couple combinations I like..I have a lime green Spirea thunbergii 'Ogon' (Mellow Yellow) that is gorgeous with it as are shades of pink (especially asiatic and oriental lilies). With either of those you can add some very good contrast if you throw in something with very blue foliage..I love the blue hostas if you have some shade or fescue grass if you're in more of a sunny area. I don't mind white with them either...I suppose it depends on what you're trying to develop...soft and subtle or more of a "notice me" sort of things.

Wendy

I use medium-tall pink Michaelmas Daisies beside my Diablo, and the combination is great in Autumn, and for early summer, on the side which gets less sun, I have Thalictrum Rochebrunianum (I think that's spelled correctly - what a name, eh?), which grows 4 to 5 feet high and has delicate pink flowers and bluish-green leaves. I bet Shasta daisies would look nice, too.

Check out willow shrubs. can't believe I forgot the names. Wait, I got one, Arctic blue willow shrub. It moves hypnoticly with the slightest breeze. The other is something like Hinoko Shikuru dappled willow shrub. Light bluish-green, variegated with pink tips. They have a nice spherical shape.
You do know that ninebarks get wild & leggy right? Informal is an understatement.

Ninebarks do NOT get wild and leggy here. They are informal, but virtually care-free in our gardens. I doubt we've ever watered them - I know we've never fertilized them. In fact, I don't remember pruning them either. We've been growing them for over 30 years in different gardens. Here, we have planted 'Diablo' with one of the gold-leaf cultivars to great effect. Underneath, I have interplanted species tulips and fritillarias.

I WANT my Ninebark to get leggy - that'll get the leaves up higher so I can grow more stuff underneath (I have a small garden)! As a result, I've been carefully pruning the lower branches off, and the new growth has gone nearly straight up to the sky. they're just leafing out now, and it appears as if the bush will be great looking this year. I just hope it blooms; it didn't last year. The flowers look so lovely against the dark red leaves.

Gordonf, how does the ninebark look pruned like that? I love the shrub's natural shape. I'm curious about how it looks with the bottom branches removed.

How old do they need to get before they flower. I just planted one last Spring, so it's only about 3 ft tall.

Mine bloomed the first year I had it, when it was about 3 feet tall. Someone told me they bloom on old wood, so that's probably why it didn't flower last year (I probably pruned too much off). Hopefully, mine'll bloom again this year!