THE BASIC COLOR PALLETTE
The Primary Colors on the wheel are: Red, Yellow & Blue
Blending these 3 colors gives us the rest of the rainbow.
Secondaries and Tertiaries round out the 12 colors shown on the wheel.
Secondary: Orange, Green & Violet
Tertiaries: Yellow-Orange, Yellow-Green & Blue-Violet
COMBINING AND PLAYING WITH COLORS IN THE GARDEN
Basically, it breaks down to 2 choices:
Harmonious (colors that are next to one another and share some value) or Contrasting (colors that donít)
Harmonious Combinations
Monochromatic
Choosing one hue and using it in its various shades, tints and tones.
Less is More
Can be a good beginners approach, as it avoids the chaos of too many colors
Requires an eye that can see the differences within a color
Also a very sophisticated approach in its subtlety
Texture and repetition become more noticeable and important
Green makes a good transition from one shade to the next
Can also be employed as a progression, moving from one hue to the next on the wheel, the next???
Analogous
Working with 2-3 colors that are adjacent to one another on the wheel (red, orange, yellow)
Makes for an easier, less jarring transition for the eye
Contrasting Combinations
Complementary
Uses two colors opposite each other on the color wheel (red/green, orange/blue, yellow/purple.)
No common pigment means maximum contrast.
Can be a bit jarring if there is too much contract used
Try to favor one color and use the other as an accent or focal point
Again, use texture and form for variety, rather than too much color
You could also work with 3 equidistant colors (Triads) or
One color and the 2 colors on either side of its complement (Violet with Yellow-Orange and Yellow-Green) (Split Complements)
Polychromatic
Using every color
Actually requires as much thought and experimentation as the other approaches
Can become a riot of color
Neighboring plants need to be considered throughout the garden
There may be only 12 colors on the color wheel, but blending and shading can create countless options in nature and in your garden design. Hue, intensity and value are the keys to taking a garden from pleasing to artful. They guide the eye and tighten the focus.
Hue: Pure Color
Very Rarely occurs in nature, but serves as a reference point
Intensity: The Potency or Saturation of Color
Full Strength: undiluted hue
Tint: hues lightened with the addition of white
Shade: hues darkened with the addition of black
Tone: a color dulled by gray
Full strength hues pull the eye and work well at a distance or as an accent
Tints can become washed out in full sun
Tints and tones recede at a distance
Value: The Lightness or Darkness of a Color
Yellow has the lowest value (Except for white, which is technically without color)
Violet has the highest value (Except for black, which is technically all colors)
The eye is drawn to the lightest value first. This is crucial to consider in monochromatic gardens.
Guide the eye with light values and use darker values as contrast and focal points. (Thatís why using a green hedge behind a flower border works to draw the eye toward the darker flowers.
Also using evergreens and structure and bones in the garden.)
To get a strong feel for the values of the colors in your garden, look at it in B&W.
Temperature: The Degree of Warmth of a Color
Youíve probably heard colors referred to as either hot or cold. Temperature is less cut and dry
than the above terms. It tends to be something you sense more than quantify. Red, Yellow &
Orange are considered warm colors. Green, Blue and Violet are considered cool.
However, temperature can be altered by blending colors. Add some red to violet and you get a considerably warmer color.
CONDITIONS THAT CAN ALTER COLOR
Keep in mind that the perception of color varies from person to person and can greatly be affected by surroundings.
Lighting: Light changes the saturation of color. Red turns dull at twilight while white begins to glow.
Surface Texture: The texture of a leaf or flower will affect how the light hits it and therefore how the color is perceived. The smoother the surface, the more light is reflected and the more saturated the color appears.
Proximity: Colors loose their definition at a distance. A monochromatic garden can turn into a blur. Conversely, too much contrast close up confuses the eye and makes for an unsettling garden.
Color Interactions: Just putting a contrasting color next to a flower will change the way we see its color. Gray can muddy true reds. Violet can become hotter next to a vivid orange.
Age: Colors change as plants mature. Sometimes the color will change entirely. This is not so much a matter of perception, but it does need to be kept in mind when planing a design.
Season: Nature changes her pallette as the year progresses: spring pastels, summer vibrants, fall jewel tones. Itís only fair that the gardener should have the same prerogative. This is where choosing plants for a succession of bloom is paramount.
Combining color well is a matter of trial and error. If youíd like to experiment on a small scale, you can start as simply as putting together a bouquet. Containers are a colorists best friend. You can test combinations in a pot and even move the pot around your garden to further explore.
