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Incorporating Colour into Your Landscape Design

December 2018
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Just because there is still snow on the ground, it doesn’t mean that it is too early to start thinking about next season’s landscape design. And when the ground is white, and the sky is grey there is no better time to start thinking about all the vibrant colours that you are going to incorporate into your design.

So how exactly will you incorporate colour? Here are a few tips to help make your backyard the envy of the neighbourhood.

Pick a Colour Palette

Part of good design is to make sure that everything looks cohesive. Colour can be used to accomplish this, but if you don’t take some time to think about your palette, it can also do the opposite. Do you want soft pastel colours? Vibrant reds? A mix of bold, bright colours? Once you figure out the colours you want, it will be easier to choose the right flowers and accents.

Time Your Blooms

Will a good portion of your landscape colour be coming from flowers? If it does, you will want to consider what time of year each type of flower is likely to be in bloom. If you choose a variety of early and late blooming flowers, there will always be pops of colour in your landscape – at least until winter.

Choose Plants with Coloured Leaves

All the colour from the plants doesn’t have to come from flowers. While it’s true that most plants have green leaves, you can also find leaves in red, yellow, purple and even lovely shades of pink. The great thing about choosing plants with coloured leaves is that you won’t lose the colour just because the plant loses its blooms.

Winter Interest

Do you love the look of plants covered in ice glistening in the sun come winter? By selecting the right plants, you can incorporate winter interest into your garden. Some show beautifully coloured twigs in the winter while others have intricate branches that look amazing once the snow has fallen. Grasses are another way to incorporate winter interest – just leave them standing with the seed heads intact and they can provide interest even in the winter!

Don’t Hide

When planting, pay close attention to the maximum height of each plant. The last thing you want to do is choose some beautifully coloured flowers that end up hardly visible because the plant that you picked as a trim grew higher than the flowers. Instead, take some time to figure out the likely heights of each plant and then arrange them in a way that nothing will be invisible.

Furniture and Accents

Plants aren’t the only thing that you can use to incorporate colour into your landscape design. If you have a deck or patio, consider choosing vibrant cushions or outdoor throw pillows to use on your patio furniture.

Accents such as wind chimes, paper lanterns or even an outdoor sculpture can also provide you with some colour all season long.

Lights Add Colour Too

If you like to enjoy your outdoor space in the evening, then you will no doubt want to add some lighting to your landscape. While landscape lights are traditionally white, they don’t always have to be. Have some fun experimenting with pink, purple or even green hues.

As you can see, there are many ways that you can incorporate colour into your landscape design. But if you are still unsure of yourself, you can always get an expert to assist you. At Envision Landscapes, we love to show our clients how they can add a little more colour to their outdoor design. If you would like to speak to a member of our team to arrange a consultation, call us today.