Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

Landscaping Plants – Using Green As A Color

Color is undoubtedly the most effective design ingredient in creating a garden. And plants are overall the easiest and most influential factor where color and variation can be established and managed.

However, for countless gardeners and home landscapers in their quest for the most perfect color combinations, there is another segment to plants that is often neglected as a design instance. And that would be the contrast of the many marvelous and contrasted textures of plants. Especially and for the intent of this article, green plants.

Green plants not only assist as a color principle like any other color, but can also be used as a neutral transitional color that incorporates other elements and colors together. Or basically, as a filler or where one space of the garden changes to the next. Natural transition is definitely important in creating a garden.

I was reminded just recently as I was talking with a customer of how many people really don't think of green as being a color design ingredient in designing gardens.

As we went over her design plan I pointed out that we now had four colors in her design project and that we needed to repeat them throughout the design to form a little balance. Remember, balance and repetition are principles of designing gardens. She then stated that we only had three colors in her design.

I knew exactly what she was trying to say by that. Green isn't in itself a color. It's just the thread that holds the real colored parts in place.

Now if we pictured green as just being a neutral medium, I probably could go along with this. However, as a landscape designer, I observe it in a much different way. There are countless shades of green. Each can hold many varying textures that can create such exquisite contrasts to design with.

Some of the most colorful and lush landscape designs I've ever observed have just simply displayed this single color in many variations. Light greens, dark greens, yellow greens, etc. And I haven't even made mention of texture here. Even the same shade of green in different textures creates a fascinating contrast for garden designing purposes.

Try and picture the abundance and beauty of a dark jungle. Their beauty and contrast are commonly made up by the many different variations of shade and texture and not vivid colors. Shady landscapes that compare to a deep forest or jungle are rather beautiful all by themselves.

Keep this in mind when making plans for your next garden. Just as one illustration, a combining of Hostas, Ferns, and Showy Grasses can bring about a very remarkable and eye catching display using the color green.

Yes...., green is a color.
About The Author

This article written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site which offers free landscaping ideas and advice to do it yourselfers. Check out his gallery of landscaping pictures at www.the-landscape-design-site.com/gardenstyles.