The 2020 fall season technically commenced yesterday (September 22) at 8:30 a.m. As Tropical Storm
Beta moved closer to making landfall, we actually
received some noticeably cooler weather last Saturday. The arrival of cooler weather conditions of the
fall season is a transitional time for Gulf Coast landscapes—especially after a warm and humid summer
season.
Many warm-season annuals have finished or are
finishing their color displays. In anticipation of cooler
weather, gardeners’ thoughts are beginning to turn to
cool-season bedding plants to add dramatic splashes
of color to the fall, winter and spring landscape.
When you decide it’s time to replant flower beds
and containers, you can choose from lots of wonderful cool-season bedding plants available. Excellent
choices include pansy, dianthus, sweet alyssum, petunia, sweet William, nicotiana, ornamental kale and
cabbage, and dusty miller, to name a few.
The colors available in these cool-season bedding
plants are virtually unlimited. Now, here’s the hard
part—don’t plant your garden with every color you
can get your hands on. I know it is hard to resist, but
what you will end up with is chaos-in-the-landscape
that is not as effective as a well-thought-out color
scheme.
Color is an extremely important factor in how we
perceive and appreciate our landscapes. You should think about
your color scheme and what you
are trying to accomplish with color
in your landscape. Here are some
quick tips on color to get you started.
- Combine cool colors together or warm colors together
for reliably harmonious results.
The colors within each group naturally combine well and look good
together. Cool colors include reds
with a blue tint, burgundy, rose,
pink, magenta, purple, violet, lavender, blue, navy and any variations of those colors.
Warm colors include reds with
an orange tint, orange, gold, yellow, rust, peach and any variations
on these colors. White combines
equally well with either group, and
true blue flowers also look good
with just about any other color. - Use color where you want
to focus attention. The human
eye is instantly drawn to color.
Never use color to “beautify” an
unattractive feature in your landscape such as a fire hydrant, storage shed or trash can area. You
will simply make sure everyone
notices it, and the color will not
make it look any better. - Use color where you can enjoy it. Many gardeners lavish their
attention and garden budget on
their front gardens, and this is a wonderful gift they
provide to their neighborhood. But when little or nothing is done in the back area where the family spends
most of their time, I think that is unfortunate.
Don’t forget to include plantings of colorful coolseason bedding plants in beds, containers and hanging baskets around the patio and other outdoor living
areas. Fragrant plants such as alyssum, and nicotiana are especially nice. - Reduce the number of colors you use for best
results. In other words, as a general rule use the colors you like in combinations that you like, but don’t
use every color you like at the same time in the same
bed. - Plant in mass or groups. It is also important to
arrange different flower colors in masses or groups,
especially if the bed will be viewed from a distance
(as in a front bed being viewed from the street). If,
for instance, you decide to use red, pink and white
petunias, it is more effective to plant groups (three
or more plants) of red, groups of pink and groups of
white in the bed. This allows each color to be noticed.
A scattered planting of individual red, pink and white
petunias would give the overall appearance of pink
when viewed from a distance. - Effective use of pastel colors. Use pastel colors
in areas that will be viewed primarily in the evening.
Paler colors show up better in low light, of course.
This is also an important consideration when planting
shady areas. Also, pastel colors make a space look
larger and more open. If you have a courtyard that
seems a little cramped, a pastel color scheme would
be quite appropriate. Cool, pastel colors also tend to
create a serene, restful mood. - Effective use of vibrant colors. Vibrant, rich
colors energize the landscape and can help make a
larger area seem smaller and more intimate. Combining colors that are complementary on the color wheel
such as blue and orange, purple and yellow, or red
and green is particularly energetic. Combining white
with the primary colors, red, blue and yellow is also
cheerful and lively. A patriotic red, white and blue color scheme is sure to brighten an area as well.
Creating an attractive, colorful look is easier than
ever. But do a little thinking and planning before you
go to the nursery, and you will generally be more
pleased with the results. Above all, have fun. After
all, if the color scheme isn’t as great as you thought it
would be, it’s only there for a season. You can always
try something different next time.
The human eye is instantly drawn to color. Different
flower colors should be arranged in masses or groups to
allow each color to be noticed.
PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Bellmore
