Garden Design Using Colour

After the naked landscape of winter, we long for colour in our gardens. In this article, I will discuss only the most basic points of colour theory and point out considerations of which the gardener should be aware.

The successful use of colour must include an understanding (whether intuitive or not) of colour relationships, primary colours, tints (hues with an admixture of white), tones (hues with an admixture of gray), shades (hues with an admixture of black) and the effects of texture, mass, form, distance and light on the appearance of colours. Colours that recede, the blues, greens and purples, are not distinctly visible from a distance or in shaded locations. Colours that most impact on the eye at any distance include those in the red, orange and yellow range. A soothing, meditative effect is most often achieved through the use of colours in the blue range, while dramatic and even explosive garden statements are usually made using those in the red and yellow ranges. Colours opposite each other on the colour wheel are complementary and when juxtaposed become brighter and create a visually stimulating effect, while adjacent colours (those between primary colours on the colour wheel) complement each other and provide a satisfying transition for the eye.

The appearance of red will differ considerably depending on the texture and the size of bloom. A mass planting of Coreopsis verticillata will create a sea of yellow that may appear monotonous or plants showing the same colour but a different form: the identical blues found in Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' and some Delphinium hybrids will affect us differently - one, statuesque and aristocratic, the other, mounding and relatively discreet.

Successful placement and combinations allow colours to express their full potential: silver planted in the full light of the afternoon sun appears as an area of void, while in half-lit locations, it shimmers and creates mysterious textural effects. The near to invisible appearance of baby's breath is given delicate substance when planted against a backdrop of dark green. Also, the full brilliance of red is achieved through association with its complement, pure green.

Flower beds can be planted so that waves of different colours are in bloom from spring to fall; one needs to be aware of the flowering times of each plant in order for this to be achieved. Similarly, unwanted colour combinations may be

avoided by using plants with staggered bloom periods, or by separating unharmonious colour areas with plants of neutral colour.

Effective use of colour must also take advantage of sources other than blooms, like stem and trunk, fruit and foliage colours. Certain plants are showy because of their variegated foliage patterns (green and white, silver or gold) and are often used in shaded locations because they reflect light.

Some variegated plants are commonly planted in woodland or low light areas with the result that the eye is gently drawn into these tranquil places. Plants chosen for such locations are often whiteblooming or are those with blooms showing tints or possibly tones rather than pure hues or shades.

The gardener must also know which plants have a transitory or unpredictable colour performance, like Schwedler's Norway maple, whose foliage changes from a rich burgundy to dark green during the summer. Interesting but subtle colour accents in foliage or bloom can be accentuated with a companion planting that links the two by featuring the same or a related colour.

As a gardener, be sensitive to colour; whether it be that of the latest cultivar or the subtlest hint within the petals of a single bloom. The challenge and joy of colour will always present itself to the adventurous and appreciative gardener.

Ailsa Francis is a graduate of Algonquin College's Horticulture and Landscape Technician program and is presently working on a parttime basis as a garden designer.

Please contact the OHS or the author if you wish to republish these articles. © Ottawa Horticultural Society

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