Colour Me Purple

There’s an awful lot written about colour in the garden. Christopher Lloyd wrote entire books about it. Celebrity gardeners opine endlessly about it. But what do the colours in your garden say about you?

There’s no denying that different colours evoke different moods. Blues, purples, pinks and whites are considered to be calming, although in isolation I find them boring. Reds, oranges and yellows, on the other hand, are energising and exciting, but many people shy away from them. Personally, I love them all. Except sunshine yellow, hate it, and oh, especially when mixed with bright pink.

There is one colour combination that I return to again and again: purple and lime. In Spring it’s blues from brunnera & pulmonaria, and lemons from primrose; early summer it’s lilac Canterbury bells and lime agastache Golden Jubilee; high summer it’s purple verbena bonariensis and chartreuse jasmine Fiona’s Sunrise.

I do mix white with purple and lemon to highlight the colours, but a white garden? No, not for me, dare I say it, I find it bland. Having said that, clever gardeners incorporate all sorts of so-called whites, ranging from palest creams, primrose, peach and blues to create depth. But I’m still not sold!

I just love bold, clashing colours! The sunny side of my garden gets brighter as the season progresses, whereas the shady side gets shadier, as the tree canopy fills out. Here, the colour palette is soft pastels. And the whole garden is knitted together with a tapestry of green; bluey, bronzy, whitey, lemony green. And variegation. Quite a divisive choice I find, white and green being more acceptable than yellow and green for some reason. More subtle perhaps, more tasteful? Whatever! But I’m not going to go down that route!

I would say I am a person of two halves. When in company I’m extrovert and outspoken, but when alone I love peace and quiet. I’ve never sat down and planned my colour schemes, they have just evolved over time, reflecting the mood of that moment. I can even pinpoint particular colour combos to certain times in my life.

So, without judgement, take a fresh look at the colour schemes in your garden and see what they reveal about you. You might surprise yourself!

 Love, Caroline x