Colors evoke certain emotions. Red draws attention because
it is the color that the eye sees first and will get a garden noticed.
Yellow draws attention and can signify a warning. Yellow marigolds lining
a stairway will make people slow down and pay attention.
Pink lacks the passion of red but is warmer than blue. It can range
from a bright rose-pink to a very pale pastel pink, so it can be used either
as an exciting, bright color or a charming, warm color.
Blue, a common favorite color, is cool and relaxing. It is easy to combine
with other colors, and, when combined with white, it can make a garden
appear much cooler, even on a hot day!
White, ivory and gray mediate between colors. You can use colors that
clash, such as pink and orange, if you carefully use whites and grays to
soften them. White and gray can be used alone in a garden, too. If you
work during the day and only get to enjoy your garden at night, you might
choose to do an all-white garden. It is a crisp and clean color that shows
up well at night, and can also be used to line dark paths.
Green helps the eyes relax and recover from strain. Trees, lawns and
shrubs all provide lots of green areas.
By studying the psychology of colors, you can create gardens that enhance
moods or feelings, or make a garden appear longer, closer or wider.
Bright bold colors like red, yellow and orange are exciting and stand
out. They are called hot colors. Blues, violets and greens are cool colors.
They are relaxing and tend to fade. Bright, bold colors should be used
to draw attention. Cool colors should be used near places for relaxing,
like a hammock.
More bright colors are used in Colorado because the area's intense sunlight
fades and washes out colors. The natural surroundings have more earth tones
to them, with reddish rocks or sandstone and dry prairie grasses. Even
the gray concrete of urban settings is set off with brighter colors. In
the
east, northwest and European areas, there are many more tree, green grasses
and shrubs, providing background for gardens. Those shady, leafy forests
are better combined with pastels and light colors that highlight those
dark areas.
Our natural landscape gives us hints of types of architecture, color
and culture that fit with the area. Bright red, orange and yellow are more
visible in the full sun and blend with the local flavor. White, pale yellow
and pastel pink fade under Colorado's intense sunlight. In older established
neighborhoods, lighter colors work well where trees shade streets and houses,
on the north side of buildings, against lots of dark green evergreens or
large expanses of lawns.
