Why you should add colour to your garden

It might seem an obvious thing that you need to bring colour into your garden, but there is in fact a lot of science behind it and, as with inside the home, different colours could have different influences on your garden.

Here are a handful of factors to consider.

It adds visual interest and variety

Different colours create contrast and can be used to create eye-catching combinations that add interest to a garden. “Flower form and shape are for me almost more important than just the colour,” explains Chris Maddams from Red Daffodil Garden & Landscape Design.

According to Maddams he and his team spend time not just contrasting the colours of different species, but also the way the flowers are presented. “The easiest example is spires, where the spikes of dramatic colour create drama, against rounder or flatter inflorescences.

Colour will help create a mood or atmosphere

Colours can evoke different emotions and create different moods in a garden. For example, warm colours like red, orange, and yellow can create a lively and energetic atmosphere, while cool colors like blue and purple can create a more calming and serene atmosphere. “Everyone has a favourite, so it’s easy to personalise gardens,” says Maddams, before explaining that there are some general concepts to consider. “White is not just cooling and invokes a feeling of serenity - pale flowers stand out in low light conditions so using them around entertainment areas or entrance paths where you are likely to be in the evening is a must,” he says.

According to Maddams, whites, blues and purples as a mix cool the space, making it more inviting on hot afternoons, especially important in the Western Cape during long dry summers. “In contrast in Johannesburg where you have far more trees and shadier gardens with afternoon cloud cover from thunderstorms using oranges and yellow in eye-catching displays is important to make sure the eye is drawn to shady pockets and corners,” he says.

It will guide the eye

Colours can be used to direct the eye to certain parts of the garden or to create a sense of depth and perspective. “Creating banks of long flowering shrubs like hydrangea emphasize the lines of the garden, while a singular group of a contrasting shape arrests the eye, so you employ different groups to create a rhythm in the garden,” says Maddams.

Colours could help attract pollinators

Certain colours, like red, orange, and yellow, are known to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. “Most insects can’t see the colour red, so this is associated with vertebrate pollinators, like birds and mice, so if you’re looking to bring larger animals to your garden this is a factor to consider,” warns Maddams, adding that there is, of course, the famous exception to the rule down here in the Western Cape. “The Disa which is a glorious red and pollinated by a specific butterfly. But scents, UV lines we can’t see and nectar are also great attractants.”