Posts Tagged ‘white’
Color in the Perennial Garden
When planting your perennial flower garden, it is helpful to take into consideration the different colors of the plants. The color of the flowers will create a specific mood and ambiance in your garden. Here are some of the colors you may be considering for your garden and the perennial flowers and plants that will fit into that color category.
Yellow
The color yellow is perceived by the eye before the other colors. The members of this family attract and dominate the garden. You will want to plan groupings of yellow or gold as deliberate focal points. This will help to emphasize the features of your garden. You can also use yellow discreetly in order to make a surprise impact among a quieter planting. The color yellow is both warm and cheerful. It is reminiscent of the sun as it comes from behind a cloud. The following perennials have a yellow flower:
Alyssum Butterfly Weed Columbine
Coreopsis Corydalis Cushion Spurge
Daylily Evening Primrose False Sunflower
Gallardia Geum Golden Marguerite
Iris Lamiastrum Leopard Bane
Ligularia Lupine Marsh Marigold
Mum Poppy Potentilla
Rudbeckia Sedum Solidago
Sunrose Trollius Yarrow
Blues
The color blue is stimulating, but it can be restful at times. In the distance, blue flowers will draw the eye after them and push the boundaries of the garden outward. At twilight, blue can seem to glow. The color blue will give your garden a cool feeling. The following perennials have a blue flower:
Ajuga Aster Aubretia
Balloon Flower Blue Eyed Grass Blue Flax
Brunnera Campanula Catmint
Columbine Delphinium Forget-Me-Not
Geranium Globe Thistle Iris
Jacobs Ladder Lavender Lungwort
Lupine Monkshood
Russian Sage Salvia Spiderwort
Veronica Vinca Viola
Pinks
The color pink is soft, gentle and luxurious. It evokes an atmosphere that is peaceful. Sunlight can bleach the delicate tints to a washed-out paleness unless deeper tones of pink are used to add strength. However, in the evening light, the pale pastel pinks will appear luminous. The pink flowers will form a gentle and restful background to or between a more definite area of color such as the strong complementary blues and yellows or violets and oranges which paint distinct pictures. The pinks also help where related colors such as vivid and warm reds, oranges and yellow focus the eye and demand attention. The following perennials have a pink flower:
Arabis Aster Astilbe
Aubretia Baby’s Breath Beebalm
Bergenia Bleeding Heart Butterfly Weed
Canterbury Bells Centaurea Columbine
Coral Bells Coreopsis Cupid’s Dart
Daylily Delphinium Dianthus
English Daisy Filipendula Forget-Me-Not
Foxglove Geranium Hollyhock
Iris Japanese Anemone Jo-Pye Weed
Jupiters Beard Lamb’s Ear Lamium
Liatris Linaria Lungwort
Lupine Lythrum Miss Willmott Potentilla
Mum Obedient Plant Oenothera
Painted Daisy Pasque Flower Penstemon
Peony Phlox Pink Panda Strawberry
Poppy Primula Prunella
Purple Coneflower Salvia Seapinks
Sedum Soapwort Spider Wort
Sunrose Thalictrum Thyme
Toad Flax Turtlehead Veronica
Yarrow
White
The color white helps to create a cool and restful mood in the garden. White gives a feeling of space. The neighboring colors will seem to glow more and be deeper. White flowers can separate the hues that contrast without altering their appearance of color. White can also make the color associations more pleasing and acceptable to the eye. Bright white will lighten up a shady area.
White flowers are an excellent choice for an evening garden during the summer. As the darkness begins to creep in, the white and pale pastels will remain distinguishable until all of the light is done. A border that is mixed with clumps of white will be given direction and coherence when the white clumps are repeated at regular intervals. The following perennials have a white flower or white variegated edge:
Arabis Astilbe Aubretia
Baby’s Breath Bishops Weed Bleeding Heart
Boltonia Bugbane Campanula
Candytuft Columbine Delphinium
Dianthus English Daisy Forget-Me-Not
Gooseneck Hosta Lamium
Liatris Lily Lily of the Valley
Lungwort Lupine Obedient Plant
Phlox Poppy Sandwort
Sedum Shasta Daisy Snowdrop Anemone
Snow-in Summer Sweet Woodruff Thrift
Veronica Vinca White Coneflower
Yarrow
As you can see there are many different choices available for a perennial garden that will keep coming back year after year. While I have listed many varieties, this list is not inclusive. What are some of your favorite perennials and how will you use them in your garden this year?
Photo by: kakisky
