I love too many different plants to stick to just a couple of colours throughout my smallish garden. However, I do colour coordinate in sections. If I don't like a colour combination I move the plants around. The only colour I'm really funny about is bright red. I like burgundy and claret type colours but can't be doing with scarlett. I'm also a bit funny about bright yellow, this colour tends to be only in one part of the garden.
Judy - it comes down to personal taste. If you like it bold and bright then go for it. If you like restful, then use plenty of toning foliage, but use contrasting foliage shapes to get variation.
If you're anything like me, your taste will also have changed over the years. Early on, I did the cottagey thing, but it requires a lot of effort and maintenance and I simply don't have time for that. I also no longer like pastel colours. Every garden I've had has been different in size and style, whether I've started from scratch, or developed an existing plot, but I like structure and form so that's always my starting point .
I need restful, so the predominant colour is green. It's easy to have different 'feels' to different areas if you use a unifying colour, whether you want a calm, cool look, or a vibrant hot one. I also need plenty of year round colour so there's quite a lot of evergreens. I use purple, white, cream, orange and deep plummy reds and many plants are fairly self sufficient.
It comes down to a few basics. What do you like or dislike, what time and money do you have to spend, what colours do you hate or love, and what your conditions are.
Work with those and then you can put in the detail as time goes on, and of course, you can change your mind and replace things if you don't like them....
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Judy - it comes down to personal taste. If you like it bold and bright then go for it. If you like restful, then use plenty of toning foliage, but use contrasting foliage shapes to get variation.
I like both!! And OH insists on bright red geraniums but at least they can be restricted to the patio. I've just discovered Antirrhinum Antirinca Bronze Apricot & Peachy, and am wondering how on earth I can fit them in....
Link all your areas with a unifying colour and it will make all the difference. You can also repeat plant round the garden using the same plant - shrubs are ideal for that, but it could be something as simple as spring and summer bulbs which will often be happy in lots of positions, or a perennial which takes sun or shade, wet or dry.
A favourite trick is also to go through the colours from cool to hot as you move round the garden, especially if you like a lot of annuals and/or perennial plants. Designers have done that for centuries.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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Lyn it clearly has worked wonders for you, garden looks beautiful. Carry on I say!
I love too many different plants to stick to just a couple of colours throughout my smallish garden. However, I do colour coordinate in sections. If I don't like a colour combination I move the plants around. The only colour I'm really funny about is bright red. I like burgundy and claret type colours but can't be doing with scarlett. I'm also a bit funny about bright yellow, this colour tends to be only in one part of the garden.
Judy - it comes down to personal taste. If you like it bold and bright then go for it. If you like restful, then use plenty of toning foliage, but use contrasting foliage shapes to get variation.
If you're anything like me, your taste will also have changed over the years. Early on, I did the cottagey thing, but it requires a lot of effort and maintenance and I simply don't have time for that. I also no longer like pastel colours. Every garden I've had has been different in size and style, whether I've started from scratch, or developed an existing plot, but I like structure and form so that's always my starting point .
I need restful, so the predominant colour is green. It's easy to have different 'feels' to different areas if you use a unifying colour, whether you want a calm, cool look, or a vibrant hot one. I also need plenty of year round colour so there's quite a lot of evergreens. I use purple, white, cream, orange and deep plummy reds and many plants are fairly self sufficient.
It comes down to a few basics. What do you like or dislike, what time and money do you have to spend, what colours do you hate or love, and what your conditions are.
Work with those and then you can put in the detail as time goes on, and of course, you can change your mind and replace things if you don't like them....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Last edited: 02 March 2017 18:02:16
I like both too Judy
Link all your areas with a unifying colour and it will make all the difference. You can also repeat plant round the garden using the same plant - shrubs are ideal for that, but it could be something as simple as spring and summer bulbs which will often be happy in lots of positions, or a perennial which takes sun or shade, wet or dry.
A favourite trick is also to go through the colours from cool to hot as you move round the garden, especially if you like a lot of annuals and/or perennial plants. Designers have done that for centuries.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...