Colors don't clash, they create a color scheme. Coral and blue are complementary colors, ranges of red to orange are analogous. These combinations are not wrong, they are excellent schemes that are taught in art and design school.

Add a foliage plant with silver or variegated leaves to help work the colors together.

Varying the textures is equally important when putting plants together. Vary the size of blooms and foliage to get a look you might like better.

With pale blue plumgago, I plant darker blue salvias and white flowering plants. With geraniums, I would plant blue daze and some white and silver plants like dusty miller.

In my garden, I just throw it all in and call it a Fiesta!

I pretty much subscribe to Shirley's philosophy of color. In the garden magazines years ago it seemed the trend was to go with delicate colors such as one would plant in misty old England, but one day I realized "Hey, I live in a hot climate! I'm going with hot colors." Yea, fiesta!

However, I did give some thought to what to plant behind the border of plumbagos which planted themselves along the drive way from seed that washed across when it rained. I planted three thyralis, one Irene lantana (same color as Dallas red I think) and a Senna corymbosa (thanks for the tip Carrie) in a staggered row behind the plumbagos with bronze cosmos in between. Along the back is a border red cannas. With the lack of rain the area hasn't matured enough to take photos, but I think I'm going to like the combo. There a few other plants scattered here and there such as purple ice plant. Something with silvery foliage as Shirley suggests would also be good there.

Pick what you like and you can't go too far wrong.

Shirley, do deer eat blue daze?

Happy gardening!

Roselee's combinations are great. Most of those, including the bronze, are red-orange and a good complement to blue. Yellow callibrachoa is another plant that would look good with blue plumbago.

The blue daze is in hanging baskets and containers on the deck. I usually keep annuals out of deer range, especially this year with the drought. Marigolds are an exception, they avoid those.

When I'm actually planning a look I go with 2 similar colors and one opposite for contrast. (Ie, purple,blue and yellow). I don't like pastels in the sun belt either. The sun seems to bleach them out and make it look flat and dull IMHO.

pj - That's a good way to work colors - analogous with complement works every time.

Just looked up blue daze and it is borderline hardy here, so I might try to winter it over. The info also says it is deer resistant. Haven't tried putting it out in deer territory though because it looks vulnerable.

I wasn't able to overwinter blue daze but I know people who have.
When I'm planning I do the color scheme thing but dang I do a lot of random plunking!

When I moved here there were daylilies already planted. They are assorted pinks/peaches and one yellow. I planted some peterpan agapanthus. Last week I looked out the window and thought how the other colors looked really pretty with the blue of the agapanthus.

"Someone" on this forum laughs at me because I don't like red. If I don't plant red, nothing clashes. I do have dark rose roses that look redish.

Kathy, you and Martha Stewart both avoid red flowers in the garden! Red is a strong color and definitely works great in masses like those beautiful stands of red knockout roses in commercial landscapes. They are often surrounded with gold lantana and blue salvia, both just as intense in color as the red. A single red rose is also beautiful.

Your pink/peach daylilies are subtle and beautiful with just the complementary color of blue. The blue intensifies the colors of the daylilies and the daylilies return the favor.

Clashing or "wrong" colors as a concept is more in the perception. Many factors that inform personal likes and dislikes also play a role. A red rose among the peach/pink daylilies is not the look you want in your garden. Someone else will enjoy that combination. Any two colors can work together depending variables such as the amount of each, the value, intensity and the presence of neutrals.

Putting plant combinations together in a garden isn't about getting it right or wrong, but whether you enjoy the result.

I don't like knockout roses either! LOL!

But it has to to with the color red. I don't wear red or have it in my house either.

Years ago when I bought my explorer she asked what colors did I like. I told her any thing except red or brown.

LOL, and "someone" on this forum just laughs too....

Being a redhead, I feel a bit dissed.

Somehow that's different. I love red hair and there are several in my family.
I was so disappointed when my youngest son's hair did not stay red.

I colored my hair red once. Turned out I was allergic to the dye and got hives every where I had hair. Boy was that miserable.

My hair turns red in the sun. I'm a "dirty blonde" without sun so I don't quite understand how that works.

I'm crazy about red plants and flowers. If I lived in zone 10 I'd have a few royal poinciana trees and Jacarandas for contrast.