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(Continued from the previous
page) Determining Color Combinations in the Landscape
Few topics are as interesting to homeowners as
color, and few things affect the overall look of a landscape as much as
color. Used effectively, color can create a feeling of calm, graciousness,
spaciousness, excitement, or just about any mood we want to achieve.
Unfortunately, when determining color combinations, most of us learn by
trial and error. A color wheel (right) can be helpful in selecting flowers
that will give the best contrast or harmony. If you don't have a color
wheel, you should be able to purchase one at an art supply or paint store.
 If you
don't want to buy one, check out a book on color at your library. Also,
professionally landscaped homes, public parks, botanical gardens,
arboretums, and gardening magazines can give you ideas on effectively
using color . . . but have your notebook with you.
Colors directly opposite one another on the color wheel; i.e. red &
green, blue & orange, yellow & purple, will give the greatest
contract. These opposites are called complimentary color. Contract
diminishes as colors draw nearer to one another on the wheel. Adjacent
colors, such as, yellow and orange give harmony to a particular area of
the landscape. Some homeowners prefer to use variations of only one or two
colors, such as, pink and white. Each landscape and the preferences of the
homeowner are unique. By using basic color principles, you can develop as
vibrant or as subtle a landscape as you want. Our friends at the National
Garden Bureau offer these tips on color:
1. To brighten shady areas use light-colored annuals
such as white, light pink, or palest blues. Dark colors tend to get "lost"
in shady areas. You can still use deep colors in a shady area, but be sure
to use lighter colors around or behind them to provide contrast so they
can stand out and be seen. Burgundy impatiens surrounded by pale green
coleus or coral impatiens, for example, will stand out due to the
contract.
2. For maximum effect, think about how the colors of
plants will blend or contrast with their surroundings. For example, deep
red geraniums or red salvia planted against a red brick or redwood fence
will not stand out as well as white or pink geraniums. And white will not
stand out dramatically against a white fence or white siding. Think of
using a more dramatic color scheme such as purple or magenta against a
white or light-color background, and something lighter, such as, pink or
peach against darker surfaces.
3. Just as interior decorators use three or four colors
as a theme throughout a home, the exterior can be done the same. Theme
colors used in repetition will unify different landscape areas just as
they unify the rooms of the house. For example, bordering all your garden
areas with a row of yellow marigolds or creamy petunias can tie areas
together for a unified look. Repeating the same colors but in different
plant types can crate the same effect. If white and blue are your colors,
plant different types of flowers such as lavender, blue petunias and blue
salvia, and for white use white geraniums, white impatiens, white
petunias, to carry the theme, but vary the look.
4. Just as a room should have a focal point, so
should areas of the landscape. If there isn't a natural focal point such
as a pool or garden statuary, color can create one. Instead of long,
uninterrupted rows of flowers, create a focal point by planting a mass of
one color in the center of a bed, and then surround it with flowers or
plants that contrast in color, texture, and height. One exception to rows
is using yellow flowers to border steps or other areas where caution
should be exercised. Note: Know the height of the plants you're
purchasing. Tall plants should go in the back, low ones in the
front.
5. Colors affect our emotions. Bright colors such as red
and yellow excite us and can make us feel warm (that's why they are often
called "hot" or "warm" colors). Colors such as blue, lavender, green,
pink, and peach are considered cooler and calmer. For the entrance to your
home, you may want to create a feeling of warmth and excitement, and could
choose stronger, more exciting colors such as yellow marigolds and scarlet
dianthus. In the backyard areas or for patio containers, you may want to
create a more relaxing and serene mood by choosing cooler or softer colors
such as pansy rose shades with blue violas.
(Continued on the next
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