How to Create a Colorful Garden - The Ultimate Guide

Have you ever noticed how color can impact your mood? Whether you have a favorite color in mind, or want to combine them all for a kaleidoscope of blooms, use these ideas to help pick the perfect palette for your garden.

IDEAS FOR A COLORFUL GARDEN

	Color, Color, Color! Gardening and home décor blogger Tracy of @plaids.and.poppies has one rule for her garden: all colors are welcome. Every hue she can muster is reflected in the palette of annuals, tropicals and hardy plants that fill her garden. You might assume she has a gardener, but this garden is entirely her creation. If Tracy can accomplish this in her zone 5 Michigan garden, think of what you could do in your own!
	Bold Color For Arid Spaces You can have a beautiful landscape garden even in hot, dry conditions! Many of these tough, colorful plants also attract pollinators like butterflies, birds, and bees. So by incorporating them into your landscape, you can help support your local pollinator populations. See how this arid backyard space was transformed.
	Hello, Sunshine! It's nearly impossible to look at this sunny yellow home and garden and not feel a surge of happiness. The porch furniture was all thrifted, then painted, to match the rest of the cheerful décor. Spring to fall blooms in shades of gold, peach and pink from our Beachside Drive recipe brim over the edges of welcoming porch pots.

HOW TO USE COLOR IN YOUR GARDEN

Check out the following articles for help designing with color:

• Plant the Rainbow
  Some of the most beautiful gardens in the world are planted with a wide range of colors, from warm reds to cool blues and everything in between. 
• Using a Color Wheel to Select Flowers for Your Garden
  Learn how to create pleasing garden color schemes using flowers, foliage plants and more.
• 10 Basic Elements of Garden Design
  Understanding and using the basic elements of design will transform your garden into a beautiful, cohesive space.
• How to Plant Your Garden for Continuous Color
  Having a garden that is always colorful will take time, persistence, patience, and planning.
• 10 Color Concepts for Hanging Baskets
  Discover ten different color concepts you can use as inspiration for your garden.
• Pretty Plant Combinations to Suit Any Garden Style
  How do you know which plants will go well together in the garden or in your patio pots?
• 10 Big Ideas for Small Beds and Even Bigger Ideas for Large Beds
  Whether you have just a few square feet or the whole side of your house, find great ideas for planting colorful borders.

FIND COLORFUL FLOWERS & PLANTS

Love bright colors? Looking to create a certain mood? Browse these plant lists organized by color to find the best options for your garden. 

Yellow Flowers	Orange Flowers	Pink Flowers	White & Silver Plants
Blue Plants & Flowers	Red Flowers & Plants	Chartreuse Plants	Purple Flowers & Plants
White Annuals	Vividly Colored Plants	Colorful Coleus	Colorful Supertunias

ADD COLOR TO SPECIAL PLACES IN THE LANDSCAPE

Create an area of year-round interest with beautiful shrubs and perennials such as Sprinter boxwoods and Denim n' Lace Russian sage. Then in spring bring emphasis to the area by adding colorful annuals that will thrive through fall.

Watch more gardening videos on YouTube.

TRY THESE COLORFUL LANDSCAPE RECIPES

Follow the project links below to get planting diagrams and plant lists for simple, effective designs that offer all-season color using just three plants!

See more landscape recipes for mailbox gardens, entryways, picket fences, cut flower gardens, pollinator gardens and more.