Color Harmonies

A Collaboration of Design Ideas from my Trip to England

Rebecca Slater

SLIDE 1

This is part of the window box and hanging basket

display the Royal Horticultural Society put on at the 1998 Chelsea

Flower Show. Note the four colors are all shades of

pink, yet anything but monotonous. This

combination seems vibrant and soothing at the same

time.

SLIDE 2

My favorite rhododendron at Exbury.

As with the last photo, the flower is many shades of

pink.The amount of darker

shades in proportion to medium and lighter shades

seems perfect.Sometimes nature makes

the most beautiful combinations!

SLIDE 3

While on the subject of nature’s

combinations, check out this wildflower

combination of Rose Campion and

English Bluebell seen at Forde Abbey.

Again, a perfect balance of color and

texture.

SLIDE 4

Here is the extreme opposite of those

carefree wildflowers-A beautiful formal vegetable garden at

Hadspen House.Sometimes “red” and

“yellow” foliaged plants can look too

harsh together, but the vegetables and herbs in

this garden strike a perfect color balance.

SLIDE 5

Again we see a beautifully orchestrated

design with these Japanese maples at the

Garden House.Although the entire effect

is quite bold, the maroons, pinks, and yellows are soothing

together- like a person who stands out from the crowd in their dress, but

individually looks beautifully put together.

SLIDE 6

Speaking of standing out from the crowd…

Aren’t these fruits and vegetables awesome?

Each represents absolute perfection, even though we all know it doesn’t

exist. Anyway, although the

colors red, green, white, and orange would not seem harmonious in a

planting, they really pull it off here- in an ultra

artificial setting.

SLIDE 7

And now for something completely different…

A great idea- a continuous color running through a planting to give the illusion of a river or

stream.Here blue forget-me-nots

(helped by the architecture) “flow”

through this three tiered planting at the Garden

House.

SLIDE 8

Here is another example of a plant being used to create a “stream-like”

effect.What is the first thing you notice when you quickly

look at this photo? I doubt it’s the ferns or the

hosta.These candleabra

primroses are magnificent anyway, and even more so in their spotlight position

here at Hillier’s.

SLIDE 9

Ah, another great use for candleabra primroses.

They don’t steal the show here, but they supply an

integral part of this exciting color

combination. They bring the eye back to this side of the shore- otherwise

the line would just disappear & the view would be much less

enticing.

SLIDE 10

Enticing…. or tacky? You decide.

These azaleas at Exbury combine bright pink and red- a color combination no-no. What pulls it off and

actually makes it look like they were made to

go together? The element of white,

which acts as a divider for colors.

SLIDE 11

The purple border at

Hadspen house. Clearly, artists

are at work here. This could not be more beautiful or

pleasing to the eye. I wish I

could design like this- it’s

absolutely stunning.

SLIDE 12

I really love the idea of these low-growing

plants on small raised areas-

looks so much like a fuzzy

tapestry. The pale pinks,

yellows, and greens combine in a lovely way.

SLIDE 13

This scene also seems to impart a

tapestry-like effect. There are so many spikes of foxglove that they just seem to meld

into one. The upright, sculptural quality of the tree prevents the eye from becoming disinterested.

SLIDE 14

A portion of the Plum Border at Hadspen House. As with the

purple border in Slide 11, it is a study in

different shades of the same color. This

design concept creates very moody gardens- plum seems deep and passionate, whereas another color may seem upbeat and

springy.

SLIDE 15

We’re back at the Chelsea Flower

Show and the display by the Royal

Horticultural Society for the final slide. A

basket of orange, yellow, and red

nasturtiums combine with some purple petunias and blue

lobelia for a cheerful ball of color.