will a photinia red robin clash with a spirea japonica goldflame?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Colour-wise, I mean. I love my spirea, so much interest all year round and it thrives where it is, but I need some privacy ata a low fence shared with next door (as loveluy as they are) and bought photinia recently. Haven't planted it yet and now I'm doubtful as the spirea'ss flowers are mid-pink and the foliage goes from bright green to a sort of rusty red which is different from the photinia.

I think it is quite hard for plants to "clash" as we are used to seeing "clashing" plants in nature, unless you have a very defined colour palette for your planting scheme. The only time they will both have red foliage is spring and it is only the tips of the photinia that are red so the dominant colour will be green on that plant. It maybe isn't the best combination. Could you plant something in between?

A tip I saw was to plant something between as suggested above, it could be something airy and floating or a different shape of some kind that bridges the gap between the two plants, or a grass....

Something limey coloured could work well or a pittosporum that picked up the colours.

I've got both in my garden - although in separate locations. My photonias are currently a dull green with a very slight orangey-red tint on the tips of some of the leaves. I think the spirea would look good against it.

We have both - not right by each other but I’ve never thought they clash.