When I visit various gardens I always pay attention to a combination of colors of plantings. I wonder as experienced gardeners create unity and balance of colors.
I
have learned the color wheel and it was also very useful. Here are some examples of a wonderful
combination of colors that you can see on the photos I had taken in Kensington
garden, London.
In
this garden there were shown various shades and intensities of
colors. It's said red adds
energy, yellow speaks of sunshine and friendliness. On the other
hand, if one wants his/her garden to represent a cool place, so
chooses blues, purples, pinks.
The
eye is naturally drawn to a profusion of different shades. There in
Kensington the gardeners showed that one can mix plantings with more
intense colors. They combined dark red and green using variegated plants
to bridge the two shades, or bright red with blue, or
yellow with violet.
Once
again, I payed attention to how white color was added as a lovely
neutral. I often add silvery cineraria as a monochromatic color in rose beds.
White is always a wonderful color to mix into any colored plants.
However you might plant pinks, light reds, dark reds and maroons
together.
Ultimately,
your garden is a matter of personal taste.
I
liked the advice 'Learn as much as you can and then feel free to
experiment with a variety of plants. If something isn't working well
in one place, you can always transplant it'.
If you're interested in what combination of color do I like best so this one: blue onions, violet veronica and green leaves (fifth photo).
Actually I rarely use color wheel, because if I plant perennials or bulbs in a combination of colors, maybe next spring some of plants won't survive. Years ago plantings with tulips and margaritas were unsuccessful.
Do you use color wheel when you plan something in your garden?
I certainly do! And I agree with the quote. Feel free to experiment.lots of succes turning the garden into a colourful combination. Groetjes Hetty
ReplyDeleteI do agree, Hetty. At least here it depends on winter.
DeleteVery interesting post, Nadezda! In my case, I like white, pink and blue colors. So, in my garden, I mainly planted those three colors. Seeing your photos of Kensington garden, I'm inspired:) I want to get more silvery foliage in my garden.
ReplyDeleteI love silvery colors as well Keity. I plant cineraria and Cerastium. Both are nice with other colors.
DeleteOh, how beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anne!
DeleteI love colour, and enjoyed visiting these beautiful gardens with you. I love the way nature blends such colours, and especially love the blues, purples and pinks. White gives a nice resting place too.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Juliet. White is special color, I love it most in the evenings.
DeleteI am starting to pay more attention to the colour combinations in our beds. I have one bed that is blue and white and another which is reds and yellows. Then a third is blues, pinks and purples. I like them all and find it very difficult to choose a favourite. This way there is a space in my garden for whatever colour plant I come across.
ReplyDeleteYou have many coloured beds Sue. I remember your photo of a bed of cornflowers and cosmos, it was very pretty.
DeleteGood advice. First of all I would like to transplant more knowledge from more aware gardeners to my head. Gardening experiments with mixing colors and species are very random in my case. But that's also fun.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is ekolandia.
DeleteThis advice is really good!
ReplyDeleteI don't use color wheel, but I (sometimes) think in my mind how this or that will fit together by colors. But then comes out that these flowers really bloom in little different times and combination don't work. :D But then I find some other accidentally created wonderful combinations. :) Well, I really like this surprising side of gardening. ;)
So do I Köögikata. many times after winter I find out that some beds don't look good and others look very pretty.
DeleteYour photos are so pretty Nadezda. Your garden must be a wonderful place to visit. We do not have a garden, unfortunately, because we have too many pine trees and rocks. We do plant some annuals in pots, but I do not pay too much attention to the colors, just try to find plants that thrive in shade. Although this year I’ll try to place a pot of basil or rosemary between each pot because I read that mosquitoes don’t like those herbs … and we do get many mosquitoes that love to bite me!
ReplyDeleteVagabonde, it's a nice idea! Moreover basil and rosemary leaves look very pretty between other colors.
DeleteBeautiful! Love the colors
ReplyDeleteQue viva la primavera que nos regala esta "pinturas" preciosas llenas de colores !!!
ReplyDeleteDespues está la imaginación de cada uno para hacer maravillas con ellos.
Los contrastes están preciosos Nadezda.
Buena semana.
Besos.
A mi me gustan contrastes tambien, Laura. Gracias y buen fin de semana!
DeleteBeautiful combinations! I am partial to pinks and purples, but over the years I've added so many other colors to my garden that it's a wild combo of different colors. I find the garden has a mind of its own:)
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, Rose. Your garden lives its own life. I love it!
DeleteKensington gardens is not that far from me but I have not been for years, it's strange you forget what's near until you are reminded. Some beautiful colour combinations
ReplyDeleteI hope you take a break and visit Kensington gardens, Nezumi. It deserves this!
DeleteWow !! Kensington gardens are just gorgeous !! Thanks for sharing your photos !!
ReplyDeleteGreetings
You're welcome Ela!
DeleteI am always in awe of color combinations in other gardens but just forget about it in my own. Hanging my head in shame here. :-) I did plant some blue Alliums and some red Dahlias this week, but I don't know what colors I planted them next to. :-) I definitely need to work on this aspect of gardening so thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteSo do I Judy. I forget what and where I planted and then I wonder what a combination there is.The winter plays its theme as well, so I love to learn more and more.
DeleteNadezda these are lovely combos...I like to find them too, but I find by chance I create more in my garden with nature's help.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Donna. Have a nice weekend!
DeleteНадежда, с цдовольствием посетила Ваш красочный и душистый блог. Буду рада Вам у себя.
ReplyDeleteСпасибо, Dodo что заглянули!
DeleteHello Nadezda girl and thank you for stopping by : )
ReplyDeleteI am so far behind in visiting blogs because I am working in the garden .. then I am too sore to sit here ! LOL .. but I hope to catch up for just maintenance ? does that ever happen ? haha
I potted up my herbs yesterday and the temps went up to 29 !! .. it was hot and we are dry.
I never use the colour wheel .. I just go by my garden gut and throw plants together hoping they will look good .. I learn from my mistakes .. I really LOVE white ! it is a little backbone colour I use in tricky situations ..
Love these pictures girl ... you are so lucky to visit such wonderful gardens !
take care
Joy : )
What a beautiful and inspiring post, dear Nadezda! Lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteBlues, lilacs, purples, and pinks are my favourite colours and I love to plant them in the garden as well. Often the native plants have flowers of those colours too and I hope the combination looks harmonious. (We don't have native plants with red flowers because we don't have bird pollinators... or the other way :D)
Have a lovely weekend!
Lots of beautiful flowers. Wonderful pictures!
ReplyDeleteTaste is a matter of flowers composition, as well, and colors selection.
Good is to choose those flowers that bloomed that are sufficient for the spring until the autumn.
Have a nice weekend!
I don't use a color wheel. Instead I just imagine what it will all look like together and plant what makes me happy. Sometimes it works but sometimes it's a disaster! But if it is, I can always try again. :o)
ReplyDeleteSo many beautiful combinations! I don't use a color wheel but just buy interesting plants and wander around the garden plopping the pots here and there until I find a spot where they'll fit. Not a good way to plan color schemes.
ReplyDelete