Last week we discussed color in the garden, but unfortunately we ran out of room before discussing 2 popular flower shades – pink & white. With Valentines Day almost upon us, it is fitting that we have room for them today!

Pink is always in abundance in the greenhouse, and for good reason.

It is the color of happiness, and adds a feeling of lightheartedness anywhere it is used. Pink is basically a derivative of red (passion) that has been toned down with white (purity) resulting in romance, and is the color associated with the blush of a young woman’s cheeks. Bright pinks are youthful and fun, while vibrant pinks are sensual and passionate like that of a high energy red, but without being too aggressive.

Multiple shades of pink used together with other pastels such as purples & blues will maintain the soft delicate and playful nature of pink in the garden. Darker shades of pinks mixed with deep purples and burgundy will add strength to the plantings.

Strength, passion, playfulness or charming romance, anyway you choose to use it, pink is always an easy to use choice in the garden.

White is considered a neutral color in landscape design, so it can make a great background for other colors. It can brighten up dark or shady areas of the landscape, and the light flowers are often more strongly scented. White is an excellent choice for areas of your yard that you spend time in at dusk because of their ability to reflect back any light, appearing fiery at sunset, and glowing with cool blues in moonlight.

White can also be used to create depth because light colored flowers such as white appear to be closer, while both deep & cool colored flowers appear to be farther away. You can use this principle to your advantage, by placing light colors at the front of your garden border, and placing dark colors at the back of your garden border, to make the space appear deeper. This is especially effective when working with a small area. Using this same concept in reverse for a large garden, can actually make it feel cozier by causing it to come forward in the landscape.

While all this talk of color is not meant to inspire you to go out and completely change the color schemes in your yard, I find it interesting to know the psychology behind some of our color choices. Learning to use their visual properties to our advantage to create interest and beauty that is individual to each of us, is a subtlety only we shall know the story behind.

Have a Happy Valentines day!