The Role of Color in Landscape Design

Who doesn't love a little bit of color in a landscape? Color in the landscape can make or break even the most well thought out plans. It adds a layer of beauty that catches people's attention, drawing them towards focal points. For instance, if you looked at a landscape with nothing but greenery, you probably wouldn't be able to remember any of its key details. Conversely, if the same landscape had some added pops of color from plants like Sunshine Ligustrum or Crimson Pygmy Barberry, then you would be drawn to the landscape's features and textures. Because of color's power in a landscape, landscape designers have to incorporate them for their design to stand out! However, if color is used incorrectly, the landscape design would fall apart. When creating designs with color, it is important to consider:

• Color Harmony
• Color Schemes in Landscaping
• Best Plants for Adding Color to Your Landscape

Color Harmony

Color harmony is the art and science of combining colors in a visually pleasing way. Artists and painters utilize color harmony to create beautiful, visually appealing works of art, like Vincent Van Gogh's famous "The Starry Night." Think of your landscape as a blank canvas, and you are the artist who has to paint the next great work of art. To achieve color harmony, it is important to distinguish between primary and secondary colors.

Primary Colors in Landscape Design

Primary colors are any group of colors that are mixed to create other colors. The primary colors in the color wheel include:

• Red
• Blue
• Yellow

Secondary Colors in Landscape Design

Secondary colors are colors that are created from the mixing of two primary colors. The secondary colors in the color wheel include:

• Green (Blue + Yellow)
• Orange (Red + Yellow)
• Purple (Red + Blue)

Color Schemes in Landscaping

A color scheme is the arrangement of colors in the landscape. When completing a gorgeous landscape design, you need to understand how the various colors in the color wheel work together. Common color schemes include:

• Monochromatic
• Analogous
• Complementary

Monochromatic Schemes

A monochromatic color scheme is a design that uses different shades and tints of one color. This color scheme is used when conducting a mass planting of the same plant or planting different plants with the same color features. For Example, Lantana New Gold can be planted with Stella De Doro Daylilies to create a sea of yellow-flowering perennials.

Analogous Schemes

Analogous color schemes in the landscape are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel (e.g., red and purple) for high contrast and vibrant designs. This scheme creates a rich mix of colors that will blend in naturally! Many designers will plant different varieties of azaleas, like Azalea Embers (red) and Azalea Royalty (purple) to create an analogous color scheme in the landscape.

Complementary Schemes

Complementary colors are colors directly across from each other on the color wheel (e.g., red and green) for high contrast and vibrant designs.

As the word complementary implies, complementary colors will enhance each other in the landscape. For instance, Carex Everillo can be planted as a groundcover to complement a shrub like Loropetalum Purple Diamond.

Best Plants for Adding Color to Your Landscape

At MNI Direct, we believe vibrant and diverse landscapes can transform any outdoor space into a stunning visual masterpiece. We have many options to choose from that will enhance the color palate of your design. Here are some examples of plants with color features that will add a burst of color to your landscape:

Red

• Nandina Obsession - Flowers in the late spring, and new growth produces reddish foliage.
• Canna Bronze Scarlet - Flowers bloom in the Fall and Summer, with flowers lasting 1-2 days, but will continuously bloom throughout the seasons.
• Barberry Orange Rocket - A dense, rounded shrub that produces numerous branches with orangey-red foliage.

Yellow

• Stella De Oro Daylily - Blooms from early Summer to Fall, with showy, yellow flowers.
• Golden Euonymus - An extremely hardy, hedge plant with gold-colored foliage.
• Forever Goldy Arborvitae - An upright, pyramidal conifer with bright golden foliage.

Blue

• Elijah Blue Fescue - An outstanding, icy blue coloration to this clumping ornamental grass holds up even through the heat of summer.
• Nikko Blue Hydrangea - An easy-to-maintain shrub. with eye-catching blue blooms.
• Blue Russian Sage - A delicate feather-like deciduous perennial with upright lavender-colored flowers atop upright stems.

Summary

By thoughtfully incorporating color into your landscape design, you can create visually stunning and memorable outdoor spaces. Remember to consider color harmony, choose the right color scheme, and select plants with vibrant features to bring your landscape to life.

For more insightful information, check out MNI Direct's Website!