If you’ve spent some time on a beach, you know that waves are soothing. We’ve always been told not to plant in ones or twos. And I am sure that somewhere along the line you have seen hodge-podge plantings in beds that simply look too busy or uncoordinated. So in addition to buying the right plants for the right locations, we have to spend a little time thinking about color combinations. When I narrow down my annual selections each year, I use Google to search for colored images that I coordinate first on paper. Then I try to make sure my local supplier has the right variety and in large enough quantities to make a big enough splash. I am partial to waves. There is a reason that “amber waves of grain” make such an impact. There is something soothing about seeing a mass of plant color tumbling down a hillside or snaking its way through a bed. This year I worked with reds, yellows and whites. The yellow portulaca contrasts nicely with the red coleus. The white zinnias work their way up to the taller cleome. On the other side of this round bed, a river of red zinnias and yellow petunias work their way down from the center. The blue phlox is the focal point on the top right now. But soon the red and yellow dahlias will take over in the center around the caster bean foliage. It doesn’t always work out exactly as it’s drawn up on paper. But with proper planning, you can create quite the eye-catching display.