Garden Design Basics: Use Two Colors Plus Green

Working with a limited color palette can create a more satisfying container design

In a man full of splendid color , why limit oneself to just two when designingcontainers ? Because limitation can be . . . liberating . Coloris so seductive that it dissipate us into ignoring the other element of excogitation , grain , and form . We pig out on people of colour , only to find that a dieting of color alone is as unsatisfying as a dieting consisting solely of sweet . Eventually , we want something more solid , something more substantial .

By confide to a modified pallet , we begin to apprise the way eachplantmust wreak something more to the table : the way the right industrial plant makes every one of its neighbors count well ; the way all of the elements working together create a ample tapestry than is possible with color alone . We still get color , but we get nuance , we get atonement , and we ca n’t wait to do it again .

Violet & Silver

This moody compounding relies on demarcation between light and dark to create plentitude of visual pastime from just a slash of the colour palette . Thepetuniaflower itself contains all of the colour in the final combination — the surrounding works each repeat an facet of a single efflorescence to create a symmetrical whole .

Chocolate & Lemon

The pot is an essential part of any color pallet . This hick brown stoneware is an excellent foil for interchange coffee and gold leaf , while the leafy vegetable separates the colors in primal areas . TheNew Zealand flaxand the Dahlia pinnata contain all of the colors in the final palette . Bright golden flowers keep the mood light .

Burgundy & Cream

Minimal doses of green function to dampen this unusual pallet . Four varying shade of burgundy are present in four dissimilar cast and texture to keep it interesting . sum deep burgundy chromaticity amps up the drama .

Pink & White

Frosted roll sedge and ‘ Silver Posie ’ thyme are perfect harmoniser in almost any color scheme ; they provide grain and a sparkling light green that makes fellow colors look deeper and the dark greens richer . Without them , this combo mislay movement , refinement , and grace .

Rose & Lime

You do n’t need a riot of colour when you have a riot of texture . The bold - go away Kong ® coleus finds the ultimate contrast in the touchy foliage of the asparagus fern , while the mondo grass and moss provide spark and dark , shiny and soft . Magenta flush make a carefully coordinated focal tip .

Advice for Better Combinations

Consider the gloss of your corporation and exploit it . It ’s a enceinte bit of real estate and should be a harmonious part of your overall color outline , even if it ’s black or brown .

▸ Include very light and very dark elements in every design . They create a rich setting for your chosen color . Sneak in some foliage in Au , silver , or sinister ; these “ non - colors ” help sum contrast without steal the show .

▸ Do n’t bank entirely on annuals . evergreen plant bring home the bacon solidness and complex body part , which render those annual to good advantage . They also do n’t require deadheading .

▸ Embrace strange combining . They often terminate up to be favorites .

Barbara Libner design container plantings for Ravenna Gardens in Seattle .

Photos : Stephanie Fagan

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