| gner Or An Inexperienced Amateur? | | | | influence. |
| Nothing can spoil a garden more than the random, | | | | Secondly, the garden designer makes a strategic |
| haphazard use of color. How then does a professional | | | | decision at some point in the design process as to |
| garden designer approach the question of color? | | | | whether the color scheme will be monochromatic, |
| Color is often handled in the garden in a haphazard, | | | | (based on a single color) harmonious, or contrasting, |
| random fashion. Many a home gardener is satisfied by | | | | although the decision in favor of one type of |
| the simple fact of colorful patches in the garden, | | | | scheme, does not necessarily preclude elements of |
| without giving much thought as to whether the color | | | | the other two types. A design could be essentially |
| scheme works, or if one can speak of a color design | | | | harmonious, based say on greens, pale lemon and |
| in any meaningful sense of the word. A garden that | | | | gold, with a small splash of light blue for contrast. |
| is described by a visitor as a riot of color may | | | | A monochromatic design is inevitably simple, bold, and |
| cause its owner to beam with pride and fulfillment, | | | | powerful, although it could be boring and |
| but should the recipient of the complement be | | | | one-dimensional if not handled imaginatively. A |
| quite so satisfied with him or herself? | | | | harmonious design, based on colors that are adjacent |
| Allow me to be personal for a moment and ask you | | | | to one another on the prismatic color wheel, is likely |
| to imagine that your sitting room was so described. | | | | to be relaxing, while if drama is called for, or the |
| Better still, how would you feel if someone said that | | | | composition requires uplifting, then contrast is one of |
| the outfit you wore at a dinner party was a riot | | | | the means at the designer’s disposal. The |
| of color? The crucial point is that what works and | | | | strongest contrasts are achieved by the |
| does not work in interior design or in dress, does not | | | | complementary colors, that is those that are directly |
| work in the garden either. Professional garden | | | | opposite each other on the wheel. Differing hues of |
| designers, while trying to achieve an artistic effect, | | | | red and green, orange and blue, yellow and violet can |
| actually approach the question of color in a | | | | create stunning affects if used wisely, but horrible |
| systematic, almost a scientific way. Let’s | | | | clashes if not. |
| consider some of the points they would cover. | | | | The simplest way of learning which colors go well |
| The first question is what mood are you trying to | | | | together, and the affect they create, is to thumb |
| create? Two facts are worth noting here. One is that | | | | through fashion and design books. For a deeper |
| the eye generally picks out color before shape and | | | | understanding of color though, it is worthwhile visiting |
| size, so the colors you choose will inevitably have a | | | | art galleries and try to discern how the artist creates |
| considerable influence on people who use the garden. | | | | mood, movement, and perspective. The |
| The other is that different colors definitely affect | | | | impressionists especially, were masters at using color |
| peoples’ mood. The hot colors like red | | | | for these purposes. The trick then, is to apply the |
| and orange tend to excite and stimulate, while the | | | | abstract principles to the reality of your garden. |
| cool colors like blue, tend to exert a calming | | | | |