Colour theory, as an idea, is thought to be over 300 years old, stemming from Isacc Newton’s work with prisms in the 1660s. He discovered that white light, instead of being one single colour, was in fact made of a whole spectrum of colours all layered on top of each other, and from this the first colour wheel was made.
The colour wheel is made up of primary, secondary and tertiary colours. The primary colours are blue, red, and yellow because they cannot be made by mixing any two or more other colours. The secondary colours are orange, green and purple and these are made by mixing two primary colours together. Tertiary colours are made by mixing a secondary colour with a primary colour to create a further refined hue. The final key feature in colour theory to discuss is complementary colours. These are colours that sit opposite each other in the colour wheel and can look fantastically vibrant and bold when paired, due to the extreme contrast.
Choosing colours for your garden
A well-designed garden is more than a collection of different plants in various places. It is about how every plant interacts with one another and the emotions that they evoke.
One of the best way to convey emotion in your garden is through colour, so think about how you want to feel when you are standing in your garden, then choose your colour scheme accordingly:
Greens– The majority of everyone’s garden will likely be green, but that is a wonderful thing as we have evolved to associate green with safeness and fertility. Furthermore, there have been numerous studies that show being in green spaces triggers the release of serotonin, the happy hormone, in the brain.
Blues– often associated with the vastness of the open ocean or a bright, open sky, blue can make people feel calm and spacious. This colour can glow in twilight.
Reds– red is quick to be labelled the colour of anger, as humans have evolved to relate it to blood and fire. However red is also the colour of love and passion and can add an irreplaceable sense of drama and vibrancy to a garden, as well as a tropical touch.
Yellows- Though sometimes thought of as overwhelming or obnoxious, and many of my client’s ask me to avoid choosing plants with yellow flowers, to many yellow can be colour of joy, happiness, and excitement. Whether it is through small buttercups, or huge sunflowers, yellow by itself can bring life to a once empty garden.
Pinks- pinks can add a sense of romance and attraction to a garden through their warm, soft tones. Pinks are also a fantastic complement to almost any other colour.
Purples- Traditionally the colour of royalty and wealth, purple can add elegance and grace to a garden.
Whites- The colour of peace and harmony, the colour to unify all and calm the hectic bustle of each other colour competing for attention. White comes into its own when it is part of an all white garden.
How to pair colours together
I have always been obsessed with colours, especially different combinations. I sometimes literally swoon and feel dizzy when I see the multiple colours of Rosa mutabalis on the same dark stems together, or a garden full of different shades of green, amongst white flowers and pale yellow flowers and leaves.
I love the complementary contrast of an orange Geum amongst blue Campanulla, or a purple Tulip emerging from a haze of yellow Daisies or a burgundy Acer arching over a green sea of bright green Hakonachloa Japanese wood grass.
I realise that some people prefer the calmness of analogous colours. These are colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel. This pallet creates uniformity and cohesiveness throughout the whole garden, and you can still achieve visual interest through contrast with tone rather than colour, for example using darker reds with brighter oranges or deep blues and pastel purples. Lighter colours like white and pastels tend to pop more in shady areas, whereas deep reds and golds reach their full potential in the sun. Putting brighter plants in raised beds or up slopes will make the space feel bigger and more open. Colour repetition throughout different areas will create cohesion and flow as it naturally guides the eye through the space, helping to add to the story your garden is telling.
There’s a lot more than meets the eye when choosing colours for your garden. Colours tell us a story, set the mood, and have more power than you may realise over your emotions. Every plant, flower and tree can be intentional, each adding to the symphony of life and energy that is your garden. Next time you’re in a garden you can think more deeply about the combinations you have. Don’t be frightened of moving plants around.Do these colours make you feel happy, calm or excited? Every colour is a brush stroke on the canvas that is your garden, and you are the artist.
What to do in the garden in November
Harvest the last of your tomatoes as the frosts can get them. even if they are green they will ripen in a bowl.
Lift your Dahlias and store them in a dry, dark place (some people leave them in the soil over Winter but this is a risk)
If your Roses are particularly tall you can prune them back to reduce the rock to their roots a strong Winter wind can wreck on them.
Put bubble wrap or cloth around any precious tropical trees like Bananas or Tree Ferns if frosts are immanent.
Still seriously think about planting Perennial and trees. Trees can be bought as bare root specimens which means they will be cheaper plus the plants will have five months to establish without any real need of watering before Spring arrives.
Where to visit in November?
Check out your local woodland to discover which trees are holding onto the last of their Autumn leaves, find the bright berries of Holly, whether birds have eaten the last of the summer’s Hawthorn berries and search for rosehips to bring home and grind up to make an aromatic tea.
