ADDING COLOUR

There is no doubt about it; some gardens are downright dull for most of the year. How often we hear the excuse “of course this is really a spring garden”, or “the garden looks lovely when the roses are out”. If you rely on a few flowering shrubs they will deliver a reliable display every year, but there will undoubtedly be times when the garden looks very green. All gardens have their peaks, and even the best planned gardens have times when they could do with a little more colour.

There are a number of ways in which you can add colour, whether your garden is new and immature or well established. One of the most reliable, and enduring ways to add colour and variety to the planting is to introduce more coloured, and variegated foliage. All flowers add ephemeral colour. Foliage can add colour throughout spring summer and autumn in the case of deciduous plants, and all year round if subjects are evergreen.

Variegated evergreen shrubs are some of the most useful plants when it comes to breaking up monotonous green planting. Look to reliable favourites such as variegated forms of euonymus, ilex, elaeagnus and osmanthus. With a little planning you can add to the effect by combining variegated leaves with flowering subjects that will compliment the variegation. For example a yellow rose, such a ‘Molineux’ would make an even greater contribution in the border if combined with Cornus alba ‘Budd’s Yellow’ and the ever popular Choisya ‘Sundance’. As yellow attracts the eye this combination would make a strong focal point.

Gaps in beds and borders can be a useful opportunity to add colour by sowing hardy annuals such as godetia, clarkia, nigella and Salvia hormium. These are easy to grow and can be sown thinly, direct into the open ground where they are intended to flower. They are particularly useful in areas of new planting before the main shrubs and perennials grow to fill the space. With a little care when weeding they will often self seed and reappear every year.

Summer flowering perennials such as achillea, hemerocallis, penstemon, geranium and lupin are not plants to confine to the herbaceous border. Planted amongst shrubs and roses they will enhance the early summer display and prolong it. Small plants planted now grow quickly and can last for several years depending on variety. For best results and quicker impact plant in 3s of one variety, 30-40 cm apart. These quickly knit together to create one substantial clump.

Apart from the planting you can add colour to your garden with wood colours, accessories, pots and garden furniture. In the same way that you select furnishings for your home, choose colours that are appropriate to the surroundings and achieve the effect you are seeking.

This is particularly important when it comes to wood colours. The Garden Shades range from Cuprinol has been around for a few years now and I am sure we have all learned from our mistakes. If you choose a strong, vibrant colour such as Barleywood Blue to paint your garden shed it will soon become a dominant feature whereas a kind shade, such as Wild Thyme or Sage, gently melts into the background and becomes part of the planting.

When it comes to accessories such as planters and fashion furniture you can be more adventurous. These items can be temporary features; use them to add fun summer colour and remove them in winter when their strong colours could jar.

Glazed pots come in a wide variety of subtle and vibrant colours. The secret of success is to choose the planting with the pot and create a perfect marriage. An orange glazed pot would make a great container for marigolds or gazanias in citrus shades, or it could be teamed up with bright blue petunias for an eye-catching contrast. Lime green, purple and lilac are all very “today” colours in the garden and work with a wide variety of planting partners: if in doubt add purple or silver foliage to the container: both are great softeners and make even the most clashing combinations work.

Climbers are a great way of adding colour. Grow clematis through early flowering shrubs to extend the season. Alternatively grow them below dwarf shrubs and perennials and support them on coloured metal spirals: these add colour even before the climbers bloom. Clematis and annual climbers such as rhodochiton and ipomoea make wonderful plants for containers, especially if you grow them up a metal obelisk or spiral which matches the colour of the pot. Superb wooden containers are available with the matching metal spirals already in place.

Finally, one of the boldest colour statements in the garden can be made with coloured garden furniture. A neat painted wooden table and chairs can really brighten up a dull corner and turn it into the perfect spot for morning coffee or an evening drink. Add some coloured crockery, or cocktail glasses, and spend time in a show garden, rather than just dragging that dreary deckchair from the garden shed.