Color is a tricky thing, particularly in the garden. As you remodel your landscaping–a common thing around our house–plan out how color will flow through the yard.

The tricky part about this type of landscaping is that it involves looking at the various stages of bloom. It helps to draw it out on paper and perhaps have tracing paper layered on top to show the various seasons of bloom. Consult with a landscaping contractor who has an eye for color combinations, not just plant materials.

Choosing Flowers for Your Garden
During the spring you may have a wave of daffodils and tulips, followed by green hostas coming up and then lilies, followed by a late summer purple flower. In between, you can sprinkle annuals, but what colors should you use? What will be blooming next to them and will the colors clash?

Ideally, all these colors should help your eyes flow through the garden. You might have a wave of blue, then orange, then white before getting to an antique bench or bubbling fountain.

Color Grouping
One landscaping “rule” is to plant in masses, which can be difficult for those trying to do landscaping on a budget. When it comes to color, the tones should be complimentary and you’ll need to decide on a general theme–vibrant or subtle?

One nice resource, which also has nice stock to purchase, is White Flower Farm. In their Help section you can peruse predesigned gardens to get ideas–or, even steal their combinations! If you are looking for more insight into glower color groupings, check out the Chicago Botanic Garden. They have a wide array of examples that can guide you during your landscaping.

Container Gardening
And, let’s not forget container gardening, which also has its share of color issues. I recently learned not to put too many colors in one pot. Try to do one color for impact and a few other less dominant flowers in different colors for accents.

Color makes a great addition to any landscaping plan. It’s figuring out how to blend it all together that is the tricky part of any outdoor remodeling!