Plants serve so many different purposes. They can provide food for people and wildlife, offer cooling shade, block an unsightly structure, slow down and filter stormwater runoff, and help increase a propertyβs value . The most personal purpose, however, is to bring color and joy to a space that speaks to the gardenerβs personality. Gardening with color is so very personal. Thankfully, nature has given us flowers in a never-ending palette to work with.
Creating a border brimming with vibrant and personal color is as simple as knowing what combinations of hues spark joy in your soul. That, and knowing your gardenβs growing conditions.
When choosing plants for color , ensure they suit your USDA hardiness zone and can handle the light your garden receives (or doesnβt receive) each day, as well as its moisture levels. But when it comes to color, your own imagination is your only limitation.
For some, having so many colors and choices can be overwhelming. If thatβs you, weβve put together five different planting recipes that offer vibrant colors for gardens suiting several different themes and growing conditions. Our advice? Choose the color combos that make you smile the most.
1. Color in the Shade Garden
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Shade gardens can be bright and colorful spaces thanks to cheerful flowers that thrive in low light. Any of these can be used individually for a bright surprise nestled in the shadows.
Hydrangea βCherry Explosionβ ( Hydrangea macrophylla )
Lamium βOrchid Frostβ ( Lamium maculatum ) Garden Phlox ( Phlox paniculata )
Japanese Forest Grass ( Hakonenchloa macra )
Astilbe ( Astilbe spp .)
2. Pretty Pollinator-Friendly Perennials Vibrant color serves a purpose in the garden, and thatβs to attract pollinators. The following perennials are pollinator-friendly plants that pack a colorful punch.
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Coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea ) False Sunflower ( Heliopsis helianthoides )
Bee Balm ( Monarda spp .) Blanket Flower ( Gaillardia x grandiflora ) Woodland Sage ( Salvia nemerosa )
3. Spring-Flowering Favorites
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After a monotone winter season, spring-flowering blooms bring much-needed color to the garden. The following recipe offers color from early to late spring.
Hellebore ( Helleborus spp .) deciduous shrubs for shade in the summer. USDA zones 3-9.Dianthus ( Dianthus spp. )
Forsythia ( Forsythia x intermedia .) Creeping Phlox ( Phlox stolonifera ) This mid-spring flowering perennial creates thick, low mounds of color βΒ whites to hot pinks, lavenders to deep purples. A fun plant for rock gardens and stonewall crevices. USDA zones 5-9.Peony ( Paeonia lactiflora )
4. Annual Color in Containers
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Add flower color quickly to any space with annuals in decorative containers. Plant individually in several pots or combine them in one or several larger containers.
Dwarf Sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus ) Tuberous Begonia ( Begonia x tuberhybrida ) Impatiens ( Impatiens hybrids)
Fuchsia ( Fuchsia spp .) Coleus ( Plectranthus scutellarioides )
5. A Vibrant Single-Colored Garden
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One color en masse can have an enormous impact. Thatβs the case with the Small Pink Flower Garden Kit by Plant By Number, available in the Gardening Know How Shop .
The garden kit transforms the front of a porch, a fence line, or the side of your home into a 7-foot-wide and 5-foot-deep partial sun garden into a cloud of pink blooms and lush foliage from spring through fall. Itβs ideal for USDA zones 6-8.
Each kit contains:
Azalea βGirardβs Crimsonβ ( Rhododendron sp.)
Sedum βAutumn Joyβ ( Hylotelephium spectabile )
Astilbe βVisionsβ ( Astilbe spp .) One astilbe with raspberry-pink blooms as a summer-long accent plant.Pink Muhly Grass ( Muhlenbergia capillaris )
Coral Bells βWild Roseβ ( Heuchera sanguinea )
Other color-specific garden kits are also available, including Neon Lime , Jewel Tones , and Pastel Tones . Choose the kit and professionally designed color combinations that appeal to you the most β after all, this decision is personal.
This article features products available from third-party vendors on the Gardening Know How Shop .
