What’s your favourite colour? Everybody knows what colours they like and what they don’t like - it’s a very personal thing. Generally when clients talk about what they want in their garden, they know what colours they want to see and what they don’t want to see (usually yellow or orange!) But starting with a colour palette isn’t always the best way to begin a planting plan.
If you’re looking to create a new border or bed full of colour and interest then there are a few pointers to get you on your way.
Firstly - what’s already there? What are the closest plants, including trees? And also is there anything within sight of the bed that you would like to pick out and emphasise? Or even anything you want to avoid looking at. Colours and shapes in the wider landscape become more obvious when you repeat them up-close. Also if there’s a tree that is particularly beautiful in Spring, say, then what could you use that would enhance that moment of beauty? This way a list can start to emerge of potential plants you could use.
The next thing I think about is shape and height. What are the proportions of the space? Is there a high fence behind the bed? Or is the bed a long way from the house or patio, where it will be viewed? The single best way to create something disappointing is only to use small plants! Ideally you will create an interesting range of heights, using small trees or large shrubs, climbers or obelisks. Using a taller specimen plant and underplanting it is a great way to create some interest and a focal point. Pick the biggest plants first - trees and shrubs and work down from there. An Amelachier lamarkii is a great choice for a small garden, and looks fantastic with the flowers of Narcissus ‘Thalia’ as the blossom comes out in March/April. That bulb then looks gorgeous later with Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ and Helleborus ‘Double Harvington Pink’ and so the list increases.
Spring is such a beautiful, hopeful time of year; everybody is ready for some gorgeous colour in March and April. I love to use spring bulbs like snowdrops, the white narcissi, Tulips like ‘White Triumphator’, ‘Queen of Night’ and ‘Rejoice’. These look fantastic with light and airy foliage which can be achieved by using plants that then come into their own later in the year, such as Hydrangeas, Hylotelephium, Perovskia and Stipa. Think about the months in which you want your bed to look really good and and choose three things that will be in flower together at that point. Always plants in groups of at least 3, avoiding dotting single specimens around.
Flower forms are varied, and a mix can be extremely pleasing. Umbellifers like Ammi majus, spires like Digitalis, and large, bold flower heads like Tulips work very nicely together. Think about mixing mounding forms like Geraniums, with upright forms like Libertia, again, to get a mix of shapes in the border.
And then of course, there’s the all-important colour palette. I love to make mood boards of plants, choosing colours that mix in with paint colours, and brick colours to create an overall effect. And this is the easy bit because you know exactly what colours you like, so feel free to play around until you find the palette of your dreams reflected in those beautiful flowers and foliage.
Alternatively if you think you’d like some help in creating a beautiful planting plan for an existing bed I’d be very happy to help. Drop me a line and we can talk colours!
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