Colour in the garden

Where to begin when choosing a colour for your garden?

Firstly, thinking about the colours you like seeing most in planting schemes. When I’m designing a garden, I also consider how those colours will work with the space, the existing planting and the overall feel my client wants to create.

To create a sophisticated garden design, you might choose to work with harmonious colours, bold contrasts, or varying shades and depths of a single colour.

The colour wheel is an effective tool for illustrating these different methods of colour combination.

Colour Wheel

Harmonious colours

Colour harmonies are achieved by using adjacent colour from the same part of the colour wheel.   These colours sit comfortable together and using them will create a balanced outcome. This can be achieved using a mix of primary, secondary and tertiary colours, as well as darker and paler shades of the colours.

The harmonious colours of red and pink, Hillsborough Castle, Co Down

Colour contrasts 

Contrasts are created by using colours from opposite ends of the colour wheel, enhancing the visibility of each colour. It is crucial to select contrasts with similar colour intensity to achieve the desired effect. For example, the contrast in the image below is powerful because it is an in intense yellow and and intense purple. It would not be as effective with a light purple shade. Additionally, harmonious colour groups from one side of the wheel can be juxtaposed with harmonious groups from the opposite side for a striking effect.

Purple and yellow are on opposite sides of the colour wheel

Clashing colours

Using clashing colours, those from positions a third of the way around the colour wheel, creates a bold look in garden design. This approach allows you to combine three primary, secondary, or tertiary colours. To effectively achieve a contrasting effect, it is advisable to select vibrant, pure shades of each colour. Incorporating green as a unifying element when using contrasting colours can enhance the overall cohesiveness. If possible, use clashing colours in large swathes.

Red tulips and Blue muscari are clashing colours

Single colour

Using shades, tints and tones of a single colour creates a sophisticated garden. This approach is also useful for perfect for highlighting the different textures and shapes in garden.

Flowerbed with purple salvias and lavender

Colour against green backdrop

One strong, vibrant colour against a backdrop of green also works well and can be used to draw attention to different parts of the garden. White, generally considered a neutral colour, pops with a green background.

White and green in Hillsborough Castle, County Down

When planning, take into account the varying blooming periods of plants. Also, you can think beyond flowers and consider the colour of bark, stems, leaves, and berries.

Good colour planning is about more than choosing your favourite flower colours, it’s about bringing all these elements together so the garden works as a whole.

If you would like any advice on colour and plant selection in your garden, I offer planting scheme designs and garden consultations.

Please fill out this form or email me at elaine@plantplanner.ie