Gardening Articles

Colour in the Garden

Colour affects our emotions, moods, physical, and spiritual well-being. It has a significant effect on everything we eat, drink, and touch and influences our physical environment including our home, office, and garden. Colour reflects our personalities. The colours we prefer for home interiors carried out to the garden, provide continuity between our interior and exterior living spaces. Colours are a useful tool in creating different moods in the landscape. In order to effectively create with colour it is important to understand the meaning of the different colours.

Red creates vitality. It tends to command attention and will make areas seem smaller. It is a good colour for dining areas as it increases appetite. It creates a feeling of warmth, movement, and drama. For those who may find it too stimulating, use pink instead. Red plants to use in the shade include begonia, coleus, and impatiens. In sunny areas use salvia or verbenas. To augment your plantings use glazed pots, red sandstone gravel, red clay bricks or tiles will bring that vitality to your landscape.

Orange means optimism. It is primarily the colour of joy. It is warm, welcoming, just bursting with earthly energy. Orange flowers have been known since ancient times as a cure for depression. It is a good colour to use when you have experienced trauma or loss. Plants to try in the shade include begonia, coleus and impatiens. For sunny areas try honeysuckle and marigolds. Materials to augment plantings include terracotta pots, ornaments, rusting metal, golden gravel, and clay bricks.

Yellow means contentment. It represents the power of the sun, increases the feeling of space. It brings a sense of well-being to the garden even on grey, dull days. Golden foliage will often scorch in full sun so plant in dappled shade. Many of the grey or silver-leafed plants have yellow flowers. Plants to grow in shade include begonias, coleus, and hostas. For sunny areas try day lilies, potentilla and yarrow. Materials to augment plantings include reconstituted stone containers, ornaments, golden sandstone gravel, and buff paving.

Green means growth. It is a primary healing colour. Green foliage on its own will create a tranquil impression. It is restful and relaxing as it offers sanctuary from the outside world. Using foliage colours and architectural leaves gives structure and form to any garden space. Plants for shady areas include coleus, ferns, and hosta. Use junipers, grasses and conifers in sunny areas. To augment plantings use green wood stain on fences and buildings. It is a popular colour for garden furniture, umbrellas, glazed pots, garden ornaments.

Blue means spirit. It is very conducive for meditation. It conveys the peacefulness of sky and ocean. It combines well with many other colours. Use this colour for modern-day stress and anxiety. Blue flowers add depth and strong healing vibrations to a border filled with pink, lilac, and white flowers. Plants for shade include campanula and columbine. For sunny areas, delphinium, lobelia and morning glory. Materials to augment planting include deep blue-grey slate, paving, granite and ceramics with vivid blue glazes.

Violet means calm. It brings a feeling of self-worth. It sometimes appears dull unless plenty of contrast in texture, form, and tone are used. Flowers are particularly useful for protection and for the cleansing vibrations they give out. It is a rich regal colour that indicates knowledge, self-respect, spirituality, nostalgia, dignity, and wealth. It will help soothe the mind if you are tense. Plants for shady areas include coleus and impatiens. For sunny areas use aster, butterfly bush and salvia. To augment the planting use glazed pots, dyed fabrics used on garden furniture and umbrellas.

Gwen Nyhus Stewart, B.S.W., M.G., H.T., is an educator, freelance writer, garden consultant, and author of the book The Healing Garden: A Place Of Peace Gardening For The Soil, Gardening For The Soul and the booklet Non-toxic Alternatives For Everyday Cleaning And Gardening Products. She owns the website Gwens Healing Garden where you will find lots of free information about gardening for the soil and gardening for the soul. To find out more about the books and subscribe to her free Newsletter visit http://www.gwenshealinggarden.ca

Gwen Nyhus Stewart 2004 2005. All rights reserved.

Related Links:

Bottle Gardening or Terrarium - Design and Maintenance

10 Free Gardening Products

About Window Ledge Gardening

Latest Gardening News

Gardening Question of the Week: Is There a Tomato Stem End Rot?
28 Aug 2008 at 9:05am
David wrote into the About Gardening Forum: “My heirloom tomatoes have a new problem this year. They appear to have blossom end rot but at the stem end. ...

Giving Your Garden Flair, with Drama Queen Plants
26 Aug 2008 at 8:01pm
It’s kind of a shame that just as your garden gets to its ultimate glory, it starts to go downhill. Even so, the end of summer is a good...

Start Your Composters!
25 Aug 2008 at 8:01pm
There is no better time to start a compost pile than in the fall. The weather is cool enough to work comfortably, there’s usually plenty of rain to...

Will the Real Poison Sumac Please Step Forward?
24 Aug 2008 at 8:01pm
Thanks to climate change and some help from the birds, poison ivy has become a bigger pest than ever. Most gardeners are familiar with our 3-leaved nemesis, but poison...

The Incomparable Waterlily and Lotus
22 Aug 2008 at 8:01pm
A common gardening question is “What can I plant that blooms all season?” Certainly annuals jump to mind. My Celosia have been delivering feathery plumes and neon foliage...

Featured Plant: Ornamental Gourds
21 Aug 2008 at 8:01pm
Consider the humble gourd. You can’t eat it. Some of the are down right ugly. Most of the time you can’t predict what you’re going to get...