Diablo ninebark is a sun-loving shrub whose foliage is interesting in spring, summer, and fall. During the spring and early summer, it sports dark purple foliage, which contrasts well next to brighter plants. The foliage tends to get greener as the weather heats up.
For a totally different look that highlights the exfoliating bark of ninebark, you can choose a bunch of the thickest stems to save. Choose three, five, or seven, and make sure that they aren't crossing each other and that they have a similar angle coming out of the ground. Clean up any branches and small twigs off the stems as high as you can, leaving some at the top. These will become the trunks of your multistem, small ninebark "tree." As the tree grows through the years, keep removing the lower small branches and twigs off the large central leader trunks. As they mature, these trunks will have beautiful exfoliating white bark, and the tops will weep over, forming a beautiful flowering canopy. Any limbing up should be done from late spring to early fall.
