E-Clippings - May 2010

Selecting Colors for Your Garden

Do you gravitate towards oranges and reds or do you find blues and greens more soothing? Colors give us a feeling of either warmth or coolness. Blues, violets, and greens are known as cool colors, while reds, yellows, and oranges are known as warm colors. You can use the feelings created by colors when selecting flowers to plants.

Cool colored flowers will be calming and create a serene setting. Warm colored flowers will create excitement and draw attention.

From a distance, warm colored flowers appear closer while cool colored flowers appear farther away. If you want your yard to seem larger, plant cool colored flowers at the rear of your yard. Alternatively, plant warm colored flowers at the back of a space you want to feel smaller. Cool colored flowers are best viewed from a short distance and are very effective near a patio or next to a sidewalk. When combining cool and warm colors in one display, put the cool colors in the front and the warm in the back for the greatest impact. If you garden will be viewed from a distance, to make it “easier on the eye,” do not totally mix the colors rather cluster the colors in masses.

Here are some examples to help get the creative juices flowing: