Complimentary Colors

It's always fun to break the rules.  Colors in the garden don't always have to be complementary to be complimentary.  When I was in school, one of my garden-design assignments was to choose two colors that I hated together, and create a flower garden using those hues.  I thought orange and hot pink would be a hideous combination.  Turns out, I was wrong.  Now I plant those shades side-by-side in many of my beds.  The lesson I learned was a simple one: There are no bad, or wrong, color combinations.

Of course I love the traditional complementary colors...those shades of the spectrum which, when combined, make white or gray.  My favorite dynamic duo will probably always be yellow and blue, as in the picture below (this particular pairing is sun drops and widow's tears).  There is something sunny and soothing about this coupling that makes me smile when I see it, like things are just right in the world.

But go a step further, pair yellow with black, perhaps...or create a space with varying shades of the same color as I have done in the following photo (I opted for orange and rust "super bells" in the planter near my old-fashioned tiger lilies).  It's fun to cross the lines of convention!  The exploration yields undreamed-of beauty, and sparks the imagination.  It helps take a garden space to the next level--from an enjoyable spot to a place of innovation and enticement!

Be creative...and have yourself some fun!