So interesting - I wish I could be more decisive when it comes to colour in the garden but I realise I rarely plan specific colour schemes. I think more about flower and leaf shape and plant form, and colour comes second. But then again, when I try to make a border too pastel and tasteful, I’ve always decided afterwards that I need little shots of colour in there. So I am thinking about it too and if there was something in a colour I really hated it would jar and I would take it out!
Do you mean you wish you could be more decisive on colour schemes or more about which shots of colour to add at the end? Your way sounds great and freeing to me, as I'm so focused on colour all the time (and the rest second) I exclude many plants, while they may not deserve it. Although, in a way those other aspects are incorporated too; a tiny purple flower gives a very different impression compared to a gigantic one with the same colour, and the shape of the leaves beneath it (and more such things) influence it as well. Just like you describe that you do think about colour while you're creating a border, I think I consider those other aspects too... just less consciously perhaps? Lots to think about and this (plus your post about winter gardens!) inspires me once again to take photos of my garden in black and white!
It surprises me to hear that, the colours in your garden work so well and it’s so interesting to hear you got there starting out with shape and form. I love the deep pink, reds and purple with the very textural white and green.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply - I think Rothko may be on to something about evoking emotions- certainly my husband was incredibly moved!
I play around a lot with vertical spaces too - my garden has several arbor/arches winding through it. I am going to re-read your post now because you said something interesting about trellising. Cheers!
I love this deep dive into garden as art and how the joy is in the process. I am not traditionally artistic but consider the garden my canvas. Shapes are really important to me, which is why I am fascinated by gardens like Anne Wareham's Veddw. Those undulating bushes delight me.
Color and light create shape - centering your blues ought to make a shape and a depth for themselves in 2026, which I look forward to seeing!
I used to feel the way you do about white until I had a desperation moment at the garden center and ended up with a large pot of white New Guinea impatiens with some white salvia and a creamy white lantana tucked in. I added a variegated pineapple mint to trail down and since it was a pot, I played with moving it around the patio. It ended up being a rather striking counterpoint to my reds, pinks and oranges, and was dynamite after nightfall. No regrets on the impulse purchase, but it certainly didn't convert me to using it less sporadically!
Coincidentally my husband was telling me last night about his encounter with Mark Rothko's black paintings and how it was a very spiritually moving experience for him. He especially waxed rhapsodically about the layers of black creating amazing effects. That in itself was eyebrow raising for me, since my husband is not an overly spiritually minded person and in over 33 years of marriage has never once before said he was moved spiritually by anything. I love that art moved him so deeply. I wish everyone could feel that way. Cheers.
Thank you so much for your thoughts on this! It's interesting to hear that shape is so important to you. I think we can be drawn to certain aspects more than others. Just like I prioritise colour, and shape has a supporting role in that (although I do feel it's essential on its own too; this makes me think that I want to see what my garden looks like in black and white!), colour and contrast can be in support of shape too, like you say.
Lovely hearing about your white flowering experiment! (I can completely imagine that desperation moment at the garden center!) I have seen examples where white was really good with hot pink (of course with soft pink too, but that's less of a stretch) so I can imagine your combination to be good too. And yes it has a wonderful function at nightfall when it seems to light up! (I have considered adding some white only for that but decided my garden is too small for plants only to be good at the blue hour.)
I have heard before that Rothko can convert people who otherwise aren't that much into art!! How lovely. Absolutely agree that the black paintings were very impressive. Interestingly, even though he's been called a master of colour, Rothko thought colour wasn't so important. He said it was about expressing emotions. Perhaps that translates to the contrast and the light emanating from the whole. Although when I looked at them I still thought that the colours were essential, even if they were very dark, getting lost in them. Rothko himself said “I may have used colors and shapes in the way that painters before have not used them, but this was not my purpose… The form follows the necessity of what we have to say. When you have a new view of the world, you will have to find new ways to say it” (Breslin, 1993, p. 395 via https://houseofcaco.com/en/blogs/magazine/mark-rothko-al-maestro-de-color-field-painting-le-interesaba-el-color) And many people do experience it as very emotional art (although that can be a quality of all art). Anyway, I'm thinking this could be an interesting way to look at making gardens too!
So interesting - I wish I could be more decisive when it comes to colour in the garden but I realise I rarely plan specific colour schemes. I think more about flower and leaf shape and plant form, and colour comes second. But then again, when I try to make a border too pastel and tasteful, I’ve always decided afterwards that I need little shots of colour in there. So I am thinking about it too and if there was something in a colour I really hated it would jar and I would take it out!
Do you mean you wish you could be more decisive on colour schemes or more about which shots of colour to add at the end? Your way sounds great and freeing to me, as I'm so focused on colour all the time (and the rest second) I exclude many plants, while they may not deserve it. Although, in a way those other aspects are incorporated too; a tiny purple flower gives a very different impression compared to a gigantic one with the same colour, and the shape of the leaves beneath it (and more such things) influence it as well. Just like you describe that you do think about colour while you're creating a border, I think I consider those other aspects too... just less consciously perhaps? Lots to think about and this (plus your post about winter gardens!) inspires me once again to take photos of my garden in black and white!
Yes I wish I was more controlled with my colour schemes rather than a hotch potch of everything!
It surprises me to hear that, the colours in your garden work so well and it’s so interesting to hear you got there starting out with shape and form. I love the deep pink, reds and purple with the very textural white and green.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply - I think Rothko may be on to something about evoking emotions- certainly my husband was incredibly moved!
I play around a lot with vertical spaces too - my garden has several arbor/arches winding through it. I am going to re-read your post now because you said something interesting about trellising. Cheers!
Gorgeous colors, Anne!
thank you so much!!
Thank you very much Anne - I love that you like the idea of 'falling off the colour wheel'!
So nice to read about your art experiences!! Some of which we shared! ❤️🌟❤️
Good memories!!
I love this deep dive into garden as art and how the joy is in the process. I am not traditionally artistic but consider the garden my canvas. Shapes are really important to me, which is why I am fascinated by gardens like Anne Wareham's Veddw. Those undulating bushes delight me.
Color and light create shape - centering your blues ought to make a shape and a depth for themselves in 2026, which I look forward to seeing!
I used to feel the way you do about white until I had a desperation moment at the garden center and ended up with a large pot of white New Guinea impatiens with some white salvia and a creamy white lantana tucked in. I added a variegated pineapple mint to trail down and since it was a pot, I played with moving it around the patio. It ended up being a rather striking counterpoint to my reds, pinks and oranges, and was dynamite after nightfall. No regrets on the impulse purchase, but it certainly didn't convert me to using it less sporadically!
Coincidentally my husband was telling me last night about his encounter with Mark Rothko's black paintings and how it was a very spiritually moving experience for him. He especially waxed rhapsodically about the layers of black creating amazing effects. That in itself was eyebrow raising for me, since my husband is not an overly spiritually minded person and in over 33 years of marriage has never once before said he was moved spiritually by anything. I love that art moved him so deeply. I wish everyone could feel that way. Cheers.
Thank you so much for your thoughts on this! It's interesting to hear that shape is so important to you. I think we can be drawn to certain aspects more than others. Just like I prioritise colour, and shape has a supporting role in that (although I do feel it's essential on its own too; this makes me think that I want to see what my garden looks like in black and white!), colour and contrast can be in support of shape too, like you say.
Lovely hearing about your white flowering experiment! (I can completely imagine that desperation moment at the garden center!) I have seen examples where white was really good with hot pink (of course with soft pink too, but that's less of a stretch) so I can imagine your combination to be good too. And yes it has a wonderful function at nightfall when it seems to light up! (I have considered adding some white only for that but decided my garden is too small for plants only to be good at the blue hour.)
I have heard before that Rothko can convert people who otherwise aren't that much into art!! How lovely. Absolutely agree that the black paintings were very impressive. Interestingly, even though he's been called a master of colour, Rothko thought colour wasn't so important. He said it was about expressing emotions. Perhaps that translates to the contrast and the light emanating from the whole. Although when I looked at them I still thought that the colours were essential, even if they were very dark, getting lost in them. Rothko himself said “I may have used colors and shapes in the way that painters before have not used them, but this was not my purpose… The form follows the necessity of what we have to say. When you have a new view of the world, you will have to find new ways to say it” (Breslin, 1993, p. 395 via https://houseofcaco.com/en/blogs/magazine/mark-rothko-al-maestro-de-color-field-painting-le-interesaba-el-color) And many people do experience it as very emotional art (although that can be a quality of all art). Anyway, I'm thinking this could be an interesting way to look at making gardens too!
Thank you, I'm really happy to hear that!