Stunning perennials provide summer-long color and beauty!

The inspired use of color is a tool of expression and creativity in the garden. However, color is typically fleeting and transitory except for the use of long-blooming annuals or perennials. Clever use of the gardening color palette is in essence a challenge in creating an appealing and interesting succession of seasonal color and interest. Thoughtful selection of plants to produce sequential effects can frequently take as much time as creation of the landscape plan. Adding an additional layer of complexity, plants also should be chosen based on the conditions they need and their type– sun or shade, deciduous or evergreen, trees or shrubs, perennials or annuals, etc.

As a true gardener at heart, I love almost every plant and want one of each, thank you. On the other hand, if a garden is full of onezies, it can lack impact or sometimes be uninteresting as a composition. Although it could be beautiful in its own way– think cottage garden– it is not visually the most effective use of color in landscape design. Planting in sweeps of color or en masse is often the most pleasing and dramatic arrangement. These two approaches can also be combined successfully.

Spring flowering trees such as Magnolia soulangiana provide fleeting but stunning displays!

In the garden as in your home interior, developing a color scheme and staying within it can bring beautiful results and keep the shopping choices more manageable. Knowing the language of color isn’t required for obtaining good results in the garden, but may be helpful to consider when planning a particular setting.

Next… Color Theory for Gardening

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