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A
must have if
hiring a contractor!
 
 
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How to Use Color
in Your Perennial Garden
By Jeff Pozniak
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Just like most things in life, beauty is in the eye of the
beholder. If purple blooms put a smile on your face, then you should most
definitely use plants with purple blooms. The same is true for any color you
find pleasing. There are different disciplines to pull from when trying to
decide on color choices, but those disciplines speak in generalities; your
own personal experiences mold your tastes into something unique, something
your own, something a text or curriculum can’t possibly pinpoint. |
That being said, one of the disciplines I like to pull from often, especially
when it comes to color choices, is Feng Shui. While I’m not part of the Feng
Shui orthodoxy, the design and layout lessons I’ve taken from Feng Shui are
fundamentally grounded in sound design. They can be used inside and outside the
home, no matter if you have each and every room aligned to maximize it’s chi
(energy), or you just want to make a garden space more appealing.
For example, a ‘room’ (defined by either an indoor or outdoor space) with metal
energy tends to be very clean and structured. Some colors that are considered to
have metal energy are white, silver and gold. And in my opinion, some lighter
blues, when considering plant blooms, could be grouped with those colors as
well. Metal energy tends to allow for clear and concise thinking and the
carrying out and completion of tasks.
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On a much smaller scale, when I finish a
landscape design and want to begin the next design, I need some of the cleansing
effects of metal energy. I remove every template, pencil, eraser bag
and architect's scale from my drafting table and I wipe down the table. |
I’m left with a stark white table, and with that I am
able to lay down a new piece of vellum and wash the previous design from my mind
and begin to get involved with the next space I’ll design. I find that structure
and the absence of color leaves my imagination open to consider new design
possibilities.
The very same can be true for a garden space. An organized, mass planting of
white Tulip bulbs can provide a space in your yard to give you clarity of
thought or purpose. Add some yellows and earthy tones to blend a nurturing
feeling into that planting. It’ll give you the same feeling as you get with an
early morning cup of coffee, watching the sun rise to greet a new day; full of
warmth, potential and purpose.
You’ve heard of the power tie or the power dress, right? Take that flame red
color to the blooms in your yard and you may be filled with those same feelings
of power and confidence. Are you more the strong, silent type? Blues and violets
can lend a feeling of inner strength and serenity.
I believe the first decision you should make when planning your color scheme for
your yard is to decide how you want to feel when you’re taking in the beauty of
that space. Once you have a sense for that, I recommend finding a book or two to
help you make your selections. ‘Feng Shui in 10 Simple Lessons’ by Janet
Butler-Briggs, is a wonderful beginning to learning that approach to using
color. ‘Color Harmony’ by Bride M. Whelan, shows you hundreds of different color
combinations with real-life examples of their use, to help you create the
perfect space, indoors or out.
About the Author
- Jeff Pozniak is the administrator for the Ground Trades
Xchange, a landscaping industry website. He is also a landscape
contractor with nearly 20 years experience.
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