A Splash of Garden Color (Even Without Flowers)
Just about every gardener I know loves colorful flowers. But flowers are seasonal and often fleeting. For year-round color without the maintenance, try adding splashes of color to the landscape using paint and fun accessories. Choose tones that reflect the shades of your favorite foliage. Or if you're more daring, go bold with colors, such as bright red or yellow. Use paint to brighten up garden walls and benches, or stick to colored accents using pillows, furniture, and pottery. Keep in mind that you don't have to be tentative. Unlike tile or paving, everything can easily be renovated as styles change.
One simple orange accent placed against a gray concrete wall is all that this garden needed to bring the whole scene to life. "Adding bright pillows or painting a wall makes the foliage colors more noticeable," explains Ive Haugeland of Shades of Green Landscape Architecture. "It gives you lots of bang for the buck."
Like a fire engine speeding down the street, you can't miss this red wall. But then that’s the point! Patterned pillows add a striking accent.
Blue is an obvious favorite color in the garden. Why? Because it complements green foliage so well. This low blue seat wall livens up a neutral-colored stone patio.
In another section of the garden shown above, the blue wall is a great backdrop for a rusted metal fountain and 'Tropicana' cannas.
Who would have thought that green and red bocce balls could add such a spark of color to a garden? Amidst the rusted metal raised beds and brown gravel path, they're a real standout.
There's nothing subtle about these bright blue chaise lounges. But they work perfectly amidst this neutral setting of browns and tans. The orange pot in between adds a little extra fun.
Want to surprise your guests? Hang a piece of art on your patio wall. This stunning piece from Paris is made of fabric. Yellow accent pillows on the outdoor furniture coordinate with the wall hanging.