Color Combinations In The Garden
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.
I have my own way of choosing color combinations for my garden. I wanted to create two different effects at the opposite ends of the color wheel spectrum. Bright yellow with deep purple creates drama for me.
Choosing a pale yellow with lavender creates a classic and subdued look in the garden.
I like to add whites here and there because I think they add a certain sophistication to my garden. Like the little black dress at a party, it’s always a great choice.
Fill In The Gaps:
Of course, various shades of green leaves are your backdrop. You have to fill in the gaps to break it up.
Consider how your choice of colors will complement the shades of green as you plan your garden.
This year, I wanted to do something a little bit different, so I added shades of blue into the mix. Blue isn’t far from the color range of purple, so I think they complement one another.
For me, looking at blue and purple is calming. I also love mixing lavender and deep purples.
I’ve been using purples and yellows for the last few years. Before that, my patio garden was a wild array of colors.
But for me, that was almost too energetic. My eye didn’t seem to know where to land as I gazed out across my patio. So I pared my colors down.
Yellow In The Garden:
Yellow in the garden brings a vibrancy to your space. It’s like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. It brings a certain whimsy to your garden.
I don’t have the blue fountain set up yet because I’m waiting for a package to arrive to help me corral the cord up the wall.
You can see just a bit of the blue fountain in the same frame as purple and lavender flowers above.
I think what I’ve planted is a good mixture of colors. Soothing and almost hypnotic.
But you don’t want your garden to put you to sleep necessarily. Hence, the mixture of blue and purple with the fanciful yellow. Yellow is a happy color. It is the flower that smiles and gets your attention.
What colors do you put in your garden, and why do you choose those particular colors?
I use all colors in my garden, but not all in one space. In Papa’s Garden I tend to use pink, white, and blues, and I’ll use the same in my deck garden this year. In the perennial bed, anything goes. It all comes in waves after all, since it’s all perennial. Around the veggie garden I like bright colors, yellows and reds. In the Hydrangea bed, there’s a wild mix of perennials in there also, and again it comes in waves. Can you believe I woke to about 4 inches of snow this morning…..and it’s still coming down! I wanted to cry!
They all look so lovely together.
I have always loved yellow flowers, roses in particular.
It brings to mind cheerful and joyful feelings. I would love to add blue flowers, it seems like a nice combination.
Love your pics!
In one of my beds I’m using shades of salmon/apricot roses with deep pink, purple, and blue flowers. I love the orangish hues with purple. It’s all about what’s pleasing to you. I don’t like a riot of mixed colors because usually it’s visually distracting imo, but that’s just me, it may look beautiful to someone else. But again it’s all in how it’s planted and designed. And I’ve seen it work in instances. Best part is looking and gathering new ideas and perceptions.
Your flowers are lovely. I like the color combinations. Our pansy plants we planted yesterday were dug up by the squirrels. They are so destructive. We had to replant them this afternoon in the rain.
Marilyn
What beautiful photos–thank you so much!! Inspiring and hope-giving, also, since your growing season is a few weeks ahead of ours here in N. Indiana.
As for garden colors, I use lots of pink shades, because they make my soul say, “Ahhhhhh…”. We always add yellow, though, because you’re right about what IT does for the soul!!
Good evening Brenda,
Your garden looks beautiful already. I love your color choices. This year on my front porch I decided to just do green, green herbs, ferns and other leafy plants. On the back I have white flowers. I think they are going to look beautiful.
Purple and yellow are opposites on the color wheel and compliment each other nicely! And I love white flowers against beautiful green leaves. Your garden is lovely.
Thank you! It’s an important part of my life.
Like you, I love yellow (deep & light) with purple/lavender with lots of green betwixt ~it is always so cheerful! I would love to be out gardening right now, as it is gorgeous out ~ alas ~ my allergies are majorly flared up (tree pollens), so no go for me… 🙁
I love your pictures of all your plants ~ they give me hope!!!
I relax as soon as I walk out among my flowers with Charlie.
I love purples especially dark purple with chartreuse sweet potato vine. Have you thought about putting a butterfly puddler out there? Sure looks pretty and peaceful.
I have had them out there before, butterfly puddler. I’ll have to do another one. I like dark purple with chartreuse sweet potato vine too!
I love all the mix of colors but my granddaughter at 11 arrived at the same color palate as you. And I agree these three colors are beautiful together. I had a big red bed of salvia one year and cars and walkers in my neighborhood slowed down to look at it. Tornadoes watch here last night . These stormy nights keep me on edge.
That sounds beautiful! My salvia is of course purple.
I love color in my flowers. I am neutral and white inside but outside I have to have color.
Love all your pictures. Made me smile to see all the pretty flowers. Happy Sunday.
Hugs,
Kris
Makes me smile too! I look at my space often.
When our son lived in Nevada where water was scarce, we noticed many there had only rocks, in different sizes and colors in their front yards. Those homes with some kind of lavender or purple flowers were so striking…just gorgeous. I have always felt I would decorate my yard that way if I had ever had one to work on since that time. LOVE purple in any kind of way it comes. And white does add you are right…
Purple has become such a dominant color in my garden. I’ve never really loved the color purple, even as a child. I preferred yellow or red or blue. But I find purple in the garden quite beautiful.
I understand…never really thought about purples and lavenders in the flowers of the garden till we saw those striking yards, most without a blade of grass either…funny how seeing things in a new way can change our thinking…
Well, that is my number one problem for me is color. There are many flowers I want and enjoy but they don’t all “go together.” Do they have to match, or can they be certain color combos in bulk throughout? Overall though, I prefer bold colors and purple is one of the first ones on my list!
No, they don’t have to match. That would be boring I imagine. I think more your statement of certain color combos in bulk throughout is a good one. That gives a flow to your garden.