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Hot Tips for Combining ColorWhen ordering or buying spring bulbs for planting in fall, visions of a magnificent, spring garden perfectly complimenting your home and landscape may dance in your head. The resulting display in spring, however, may not live up to your expectations. Often, the color combinations chosen just don't work well together, or they don't achieve the mood you hoped to create.When choosing colors, consider both the inside and outside of the house. A well-designed, garden view through a window adds a splash of color to the interior decor much like a framed painting. From the street, the landscape should complement the color and structure of the house. Also, consider plants and bulbs that will be in bloom at the same time. Since color, height, and season of bloom can make or break a garden design, the following tips can help you make bulb selections with pleasing results:
BLUES AND YELLOWSSeveral shades of blue and yellow can be combined in a bulb display. This pairing is used best in the garden when one color is selected as the principal shade, and the other is used for accent. Blue and yellow are uplifting, but not overwhelming colors. The mix is especially nice when viewed from a breakfast nook.
WARM PASTELSSet amid the lush greens of spring, the soft hues and shades of pinks, corals, creams, lavenders, and other pastels please the eye and complement many modern, interior decors. These colors also create the mood of an English cottage garden when used near a Tudor-style home. Try groupings of warm pastels in garden beds framed by a living room window.
RED AND YELLOWFor many, no other color combination captures the joy of springtime as well as red and yellow. A recent survey found that men particularly like this color combination. Think about using bulbs in these colors where visible from an office or near a garage. For a traditional display, plant a mass of mid-season, tall, red tulips. Add clumps of golden yellow daffodils at the edges as highlights.
WHITE ON WHITE, WHITE WITH OFF-WHITE, IVORY AND WHITEThis look is especially suited for small gardens or sections of large beds. It also makes a fabulous border against a brick or stone wall, or along the front walk of a Colonial-style house. For an elegant look, group flowers by size, planting clusters of taller flowers among the shorter plants. Try groupings of white hyacinths with pure-white daffodils for the white-on-white look. For a final touch, add clumps of white Fosteriana tulips.
ORANGE AND PINKApricot and coral flowers shine alongside "old-rose" shades of pink and mauve. They also combine and contrast well with white, ivory, and yellow. For an elegant border, mix clusters of tall, lily-flowering tulips in soft coral and deep-pink shades.
PURPLES AND YELLOWSYellow and purple are on opposite sides of the color wheel. These two shades enliven a colorless corner and lend themselves well to both country-style landscapes and those with a formal tendency. Combine purple, yellow, and white crocuses in a concentrated planting outside your kitchen window for a cheery first view of spring. For a natural, wildflower look, plant patches of crocus throughout your lawn. Easy naturalizers, they multiply over the years.
PURPLES, BLUES, AND FIRE-REDSFlowers offer a wealth of choices in these colors. To avoid a spotty look, use large patches of flowers in shades of blue and purple to anchor the scheme, adding smaller areas of red for dynamic accents. Or vice versa! Since these three colors can appear dark against a green background, a solid patch of white here and there lightens and heightens the impact. Bring a rocky nook to life in early spring by pairing delicate groupings of deep-blue Iris reticulata and lighter blue and purple violets. Add a splash of vermillion-red with early blooming Tulipa praestans fusilier, a species tulip that grows about 10 inches tall.
SILVER AND GRAYAlthough generally used as filler colors, silver and gray can be used to emulate the look of stones and rock walls in the landscape. Where springtime display is concerned, they can also be used to bring a little "snow" into the picture. For an elegant look, tall, white, late-blooming Darwin tulips with light, gray-green foliage can be planted with fluffy white astilbes and 'Johnson's Blue' cranesbill geraniums. A clump of tall, slender, blue-green fescue grass comes to life with white and pale-green 'Spring Green' Tulipa viridiflora.Whatever your preference, you're sure to find some ideas and inspirations in the above choices. Now the actual planning and planting are up to you. |
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