Flower Garden Color Schemes: How to Plan Color

Color is usually the reason people plant flowers, and it is also the quickest way for a bed to end up looking like a jumble. The fix is not fewer flowers but a plan. Flower garden color schemes are simply a way of deciding in advance which colors go in and which stay out.

You do not need an artist’s eye for this. A basic color wheel and a couple of practical rules will take you most of the way.

The color wheel in garden terms

Picture the colors arranged in a circle: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet, with the in-between shades filling the gaps. Where two colors sit on that circle tells you how they behave together.

Analogous schemes

Colors that sit next to each other, such as pink, purple and blue, or yellow, orange and red, blend smoothly. Analogous schemes feel calm and are hard to get wrong, which makes them a good first choice.

Complementary schemes

Colors opposite each other on the wheel, such as purple with yellow or blue with orange, make each other look stronger. These pairings are lively and eye-catching. They work best when one color leads and the other plays a supporting role.

Monochrome schemes

A bed built on a single color, such as all white or all pink, relies on light and dark shades of that color and on contrasting flower shapes and leaf textures to stay interesting.

Warm and cool colors

Reds, oranges and yellows are warm colors. They feel energetic and seem to come toward you, so a bed of them looks closer than it is. They suit spots seen from a distance.

Blues, violets and soft pinks are cool colors. They recede, which can make a small space feel deeper, and they look their best in softer light, such as morning, evening or light shade. In harsh midday sun they can look washed out.

White, silver and green as buffers

Strong colors placed side by side can fight. White flowers, silver or gray foliage and plain green leaves act as buffers that separate them and let each be seen clearly.

Green is the color you already have most of, so count it as part of the scheme. Foliage that is blue-green, yellow-green, burgundy or variegated adds color for the whole season, long after individual flowers have come and gone.

How light changes color

The same flower looks different depending on where and when you see it. Pale flowers, especially white, cream and soft yellow, seem to glow in shade and at dusk, so they are useful beside a seating area you use in the evening.

Saturated colors such as deep red, orange and magenta hold up in bright midday sun that bleaches pastels. Dark flowers and dark foliage, on the other hand, tend to disappear in shade. Think about when you mostly look at the bed and choose with that light in mind.

Colors only combine if they bloom together

A purple-and-yellow pairing works only when both plants are in flower at once. This is where many schemes fall apart: the plan looks right on paper, but one plant finishes before the other starts.

Bloom times vary with climate, season and variety, so two plants that overlap in one region can miss each other in another. Check tags for bloom season, watch what flowers together in local gardens, and see the guide to planning for continuous bloom for a way to map this through the year.

A practical method

1. Look at the surroundings. Note the color of the house, fence, paving and any existing shrubs. The bed has to sit comfortably with them.
2. Choose two or three main colors. Use the wheel: neighbors for calm, opposites for energy.
3. Add one accent. A small amount of a contrasting color, used sparingly, keeps a calm scheme from looking flat.
4. Decide on buffers. Plan where white, silver or plain green will separate the strong colors.
5. Only now choose plants. Start with what suits your light, soil and climate, then pick from those in your chosen colors.
6. Check the overlap. Make sure the key partners flower in the same part of the season.

That fifth step is the one that matters most. A plant in the perfect color that dislikes your site will not look good for long. Color is one part of a wider plan; the guide to flower garden design for beginners covers shape, repetition and layout.

Four schemes with example pairings

Annuals are the easiest way to test a scheme, since you can change them the following year at little cost. The list of easy annual flowers for beginners has reliable choices in most colors.

Common color mistakes

• One of every color. Without a limit, nothing stands out. Narrow the palette first.
• Dots instead of groups. Single plants scattered about read as speckles. Plant each color in a drift.
• Ignoring foliage. Leaves take up more of the view than flowers for most of the season.
• Forgetting the backdrop. Red flowers vanish against a red brick wall; pale flowers stand out against a dark hedge.

If a combination disappoints, move or replace one plant in cool weather and try again. Color schemes improve by small adjustments over several seasons.