how do I use colour in my garden?

Planning a colour scheme for your garden is often one of the best parts of the landscaping task. However, it can also be one of the most challenging. How do you make an attractive and varied colour landscape that does not confuse the eye? The type of plant or flower that can be planted depends upon many factors, such as the type of soil and how much shade or sun its designated area will get. It must also relate to the various textures, shapes and sizes that surround it. Consequently, if you choose a plant based on its colour you must also ensure that its other properties make it a suitable match for your garden design.

To implement a successful colour scheme in your garden, it is first necessary to set in place the functional parameters. The colouring of the landscape is the final touch that finishes the look of a garden.

Why is colour important?

How do I use colour in my garden?

Colour should be introduced into the garden following the main principles that apply to all aspects of garden design.

Repetition - With colour, this can mean keeping one colour a constant while varying those around it. Obviously the danger is that excessive repetition will turn into monotony, or that the repeated pattern will be forced into a setting that it does not fit.

Variety - This is usually the one rule that everyone manages to follow. It is the opposite of the repetitive element but they can be used effectively together. However, too much variety in your colour scheme will look confused.

Balance - Equilibrium must be achieved between all segments of the garden when casting your eye over it as a whole. This not does mean that the colours must be symmetrical, but that your colour scheme should present a considered appearance as a whole, even though different areas of the garden may have been arranged separately to each other.

Sequence - The movement or sequence of the garden can be imaginatively demonstrated through colour; with a variety of contrasts, colour progressions and repetition that lead the eye.

There have been many attempts made by garden designers to explain the best methods for implanting colour into the garden. They can be summed up into three main lines of thought:

Firstly; that colour schemes should be simplified and not overbearing. The plant life should primarily be its natural greens with splashes of colour as an accent and embellishment. The emphasis is more on the garden as a whole and so the colour should reflect this.

Secondly; that the garden should reflect the natural world around it. The floral and plant colours should be inspired by those found in nature. The plants and colours therefore will be wholly native, and the colour scheme less formal. Influences can be taken from wildflower meadows or woodland grasses.

Thirdly; that the landscape should follow patterns suggested from colour theory. This still highly popular penchant in garden colour design was heavily influenced by the famous 19th century designer Gertrude Jekyll. Gertrude advocated the implementation of the colour wheel as a means of contrasting and collating colours.

Colour theory in the garden

colour theory in the garden

Colour theory explains the use of the colour wheel, whereby the colours of the spectrum are formed into a circle. From this circle you can see which colours will work in complement to each other, and which will contrast. For example, to choose colours that create a following harmony, select those next to each other on the wheel like red, orange, and yellow.

Complementary colours are those which are on the opposite sides of the wheel to each other. These create a vibrant display that is pleasing to the eye. Complementary colours include red and green or yellow and violet. Contrasting colours can be at their most striking when planted in groups of three. Try for example; purple, green and orange.

The purpose of the colour wheel is to allow for experimentation with colour; play about with the colours in your garden to see what works best for you. You can try a polychromatic scheme and plant a full rainbow across your bedding, or you could add a single colour accent of one plant of a different colour to the rest of the border; like a solo yellow flower in a sea of purple.

As well as thinking about the visual stimulation provided by colour; think about what emotional response you would like your garden to evoke. It is well known that colours can provoke certain emotions, so how would you like to express and create feeling through the colours of your landscape? Reds and oranges are loud, vivacious colours that excite the senses, while soft violets are more calming and tranquil. Reddy hues are also more likely to attract attention to one area, whereas the softer colours tend to become more part of the landscape and help create an overall effect. Choosing the rights colours in the right locations can therefore help achieve depth and space in your garden. If you place a red plant at the end of your garden it will draw the eye toward it and make the garden seem smaller, whereas subtle cool blues in the same location will increase the sense of space.

The neutral colours of grey, white and black work well in background, with some bright colouring in the front. However, they can also be used at the front of your display with pale colours behind to create more depth in the bedding. White itself is a good unifier to use if you are stuck for a transition between colours.

Colour in practice

colour in practice

The colour wheel will help you assess the dynamics of colour before it comes to planting, but do not forget that how colour works also depends on the individual landscape as well as the passage of time. The colours in your garden will change throughout the course of the day as well as with the seasons, so check your plant labels to judge how your landscape will look year round. It is not just flowers that give colour; the colours of berries, bark, foliage and seeds are often less transient than those of the flowers.

It is a good idea to try to select colours that complement your house and existing structures, although wood fences and some metal furniture can be painted to match your garden. Ultimately however, the choice of colour scheme for your garden will come as a result of many considerations; including your personal tastes, the size of your garden, and its location. Don't feel you have to force a certain colour pattern if it will not complement your particular space. For example, carefully considered colour wheel theory may not be as effective if yours is a country garden. A country garden could use more natural colour dissemination as a reflection of its natural surroundings. If you only have a small space, it is also advisable to keep the scheme fairly simple to avoid overcrowding the area and reducing it further.

Using a single colour in the garden can create a striking effect without the risk of messy, clashing colours. Blue for example, is not actually a very common colour, so could make a small garden look quite unique. Blue also produces quite a calming effect, so you should never find a solely blue-themed garden overbearing. As blue flowers are fairly uncommon, the mixture will inevitably involve shades of purples and greys to complement the blues. If you run out of ideas for blue-like foliage, dark greens and greys will suit your scheme more than light greens. Harmonising your new garden with blue features like sculpture, water and even mosaics will allow you to create a truly stunning space, whatever the size of your garden.