Colour is one of the most exciting aspects of any garden. Your garden
may bloom in every colour of the rainbow or just one or two. But before
you start mixing colours, let’s review the basics of colour theory.
Colours give us a feeling or perception of either warmth or coolness.
Cool colours are shades of blue and violet. Warm colours are shades of
red, yellow and orange. Warm colours are perceived as advancing while
the cool colours seem to recede. Cool coloured flowers will recede even
more if they are placed in the shade.
The perception created by warm or cool colours can be used in planning
your flower beds. When planted at a distance, warm coloured flowers
will appear closer while cool coloured flowers will appear farther
away. A planting of cool coloured flowers at the rear of the yard will
make the yard seem larger. Warm coloured flowers planted in the rear of
the yard will make the yard seem smaller. Plant cool coloured flowers
closest to the point from which they will be viewed since cool colours
are best viewed close up. Cool coloured flowers are very effective near
a patio or next to a sidewalk. Warm coloured flowers are effective in
bringing a distant part of the yard into focus. Warm colours will
create a dramatic display in any yard or garden and will draw attention
in the landscape. Neutral colours include browns, grays and greens.
Following are some examples of various flowers in their "colour group."
Mixing opposite colours
makes each colour stand out even more. Or, try mixing perennials with
bulbs to
really spice up your landscape. Try yellow daffodils
with blue
alliums
mixed with lilies.
Combining
colours from the same “family” such
as blue and green, Blue
Heron Tulip and Greenland
Tulip or Yellow Carpet Border Lily and Orange Carpet Border Lily, makes a more harmonious colour scheme.
Experiment with colours
by cutting a few pictures out of garden catalogs and rearranging them.
To help
tie different sections together, repeat a few colours throughout the
garden.
Try cool colours with a few sparks of warm colours, or warm colours
with a few
cool colours.
Multicoloured
flowers, such as Daffodils
and Lilies,
can also give you a few clues about mixing colours. After
all, who knows better than Mother Nature?
Whatever colour
scheme you decide upon, it’s important to plant in masses of colour. In
other
words, plant each flower in groups of at least three to twelve flowers.
Otherwise, the different colours may not have much impact.
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How To: Landscaping with Bulbs: Colour
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