Color Palettes for Your Garden: Bringing Harmony to Your Outdoors

Why You Should Plan Your Garden’s Color Scheme

Planning by color – what hues to combine and where to place them – is important in landscape design because it brings a kind of visual harmony to a garden. For example, planting in soft patterns, alternating between white and violet, provides a tranquil aesthetic and prevents that part of your property from looking chaotic or disjointed.

Would you prefer a calm and serene nook to escape to, a bold and energetic garden that will be visually invigorating, or some other color scheme that speaks to your personal preferences? Once you figure that out, you can use it to guide your plant and material choices, making the rest of the process easier.

Garden Colors That Go Together

Of course, the colors themselves should be aesthetically pleasing on a personal level. But certain color combos match better than others. Which of these color schemes speaks to you?

• Minimalist: Cool whites, silvers, and greens. Combine white hydrangeas, lamb’s ear, and ornamental grasses for clean, calming simplicity.
• Artistic: Bold purples, deep reds, and contrasting textures. Mix alliums, dark dahlias, and variegated foliage for a dramatic, creative vibe.
• Joyful: Bright yellows, oranges, and pinks. Sunflowers, zinnias, and coneflowers create a cheerful, high-energy garden full of movement and color.
• Warm tones: Reds, oranges and yellows are sure to create energy and excitement. They draw the eye, make spaces feel cozier, and are great for lively, social areas.
• Cool tones. Blues, purples and greens tend to promote calm and relaxation. They recede visually, making small spaces feel larger and more serene.
• Neutral tones: Whites, silvers and soft greens offer a lovely balance. What’s also nice is that they pair well with any style to create a timeless, elegant backdrop.

How to Coordinate Your Garden Design Colors

A couple examples demonstrate how you can incorporate colors into the larger picture you have planned. Notice that for both, there are still different color palette options. We included a coupe, but there’s really no limit. Is it your garden, after all.

1. Same Cozy Cottage Garden, Different Vibes

Many people love the cozy feel of a charming cottage style garden, even if their home isn’t exactly a cottage. These gardens tend to be lush, colorful, and can even be a little chaotic in places, but in the best way. They’re great for gardeners who love a more old-fashioned feel, with things blooming from spring through fall. This requires plants and flowers to match, but you could take that idea in different directions.

Color planting options:

• Tranquil like an English countryside. Soft pinks, lavenders, creamy whites, butter yellows and light blues would all work splendidly.
• Vibrant for a bolder style. Rich magentas, deep reds, bright oranges, violet, sunflower yellow, offset. But you don’t want it to be overwhelming; offset those colors with cool greens interspersed.

2. Color Schemes for Midwestern Prairie-Style Planting

Natural Midwestern landscapes have inspired countless prairie-style gardens intended to be more low-maintenance and pollinator-friendly. Even if you want your yard to blend into the surrounding environment, you can use colors to create a nature-driven aesthetic.

Color planting options:

• Natural prairie palette: Incorporate golden yellows, rusty oranges, soft purples, tawny browns, dusky pinks and prairie greens.
• Sunset Prairie look: Coral, warm gold, deep mauve, gray-green foliage, and the soft blues of big bluestem or wild indigo.
• Groups of native grasses with color: Little bluestem or switchgrass with flowering natives such as butterfly milkweed, baptisia, and prairie blazing star.

By thoughtfully selecting and combining colors, you can guide how others will experience your garden, too – from lively and dynamic to peaceful and reflective.

Call Schmechtig Landscapes for Help from Garden Design Experts

Working with a landscape designer will introduce you to the whole spectrum of palette choices. Our Schmechtig team will make sure whatever combination you select will work together across seasons, as well as flourish on your particular property.

Call Schmechtig Landscapes or reach out online for help designing and creating the garden of your dreams.

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