Colors can seem fairly effortless in a good landscape design, but it does take planning and a little ground knowledge to provide your yard with lovely blooms. Paying attention to color in landscapes can help you achieve the look and feel you want. Color is important and subtle; it can bolster the beauty of your house, lead the eye around the yard, set the mood and even make an area seem larger or brighter.

The goal to have in mind when specifically choosing colors is to bring flair to a yard. It is good to use a base color scheme and highlight it with plants that “pop” out. Bright, cheerful colors can make a space seem lighter and feel welcoming. Blues and grays can help mute an area to evoke a calming mood. To start you’ll want to create a general color palette, picking colors you like. However, if you love a particular flower, don’t feel obligated to exclude it just because it’s the ‘wrong’ color. Sticking with a color scheme can help narrow your options, but in the end taste is individual, and you ought to plant a yard that will make you happy. There are almost an infinite number of places you can draw color inspiration from. Take a look around your home, or crack open a landscape book or magazine, or visit websites like Houzz.com (and EaglesonLandscape.com), and you’ve got the makings of a color scheme!

Since plants have a short bloom period, choose ones that will add something throughout the year, or choose a couple plants that bloom in spring, a couple plants that bloom in summer, and etc. so color can be replaced as the year progresses. Choosing a plant with interesting texture or size can help prolong its beauty past its colorful period. Texture and size will also affect how the plant’s color is perceived. Large plants will make a color bolder and eye catching.

Here are a few of our favorite plants of brilliant color:

Day lily – They can have a short bloom period sometimes, but the day lily’s great range of color and interesting foliage lasts the entire growing season. We generally mix these flowers together to make a huge color palette across a space. It’s also fun to place day lilies in spots where they would add a big burst of color during a period of the summer.

Hosta – These low-to-the-ground plants provide great foliage and their flowers add a simple flair, usually in a lavender color which is calming in the cool shade hosta generally grow in.

Japanese Maple – These trees can come in various shades and add an interesting texture as well as color throughout the growing season. The Japanese Maple’s leaves can be red as well as green.

There are many plants to choose from that all provide wonderful colors. You could probably make an argument for any plant in the right spot. Our best advice is to pick a general color palette you want to work with and then find plants that fit that desire. Let your own imagination and enjoyment take the wheel and steer you towards your perfect garden.

Eagleson Landscape Company is happy to help with any of your landscaping needs! Contact us or give us a call at (317) 997-4803.