Creating a colourful and attractive garden is one of the most enjoyable ways to enrich your outdoor living area. And if you’re searching for a combination sure to grab everyone’s attention, take a look at Purple & Yellow Plants! The combination of these colours for planting designers, creates a striking contrast that immediately captures people’s eyes and provides a dynamic visual experience. In this blog post, we’ll share our knowledge as planting designers, explore the beauty of complementary colours, offer simple ideas for effectively combining their energy, and share some of the best plants available to help you get started!
Why Does the Combination of Bold Colours Work So Well? As planting designers we use complementary colours all the time – colours that exist directly across from each other on the traditional colour wheel. The direct opposition of these two colours produces a very strong, vibrant, energised effect; basically they make each other stand out! Purple is generally associated with elegance, imagination, and serenity, while yellow is synonymous with happiness, excitement, and warmth. When combined, they create a perfect balance of peacefulness and energy.
Using Your Colour Scheme in Your Garden Layout – Practical Ideas for Planting Designers
When designing a garden layout, plant designers don’t only think about the colour of the flowers; there are many other factors to consider. Use the following tips to get the most value out of your bold colour scheme:
- Create a Focal Point: Create a statement piece in your garden that draws the viewer’s eye to that area. This could be a bold flowerbed, a stylish pot arrangement, or an archway near the entrance to your garden. The contrast of complementary colours is ideal for guiding the viewer to the focal point.
- Layering and Texture are Important: One of the hallmark characteristics of a successful planting designer is the ability to use layering skillfully. Using plants of various heights and textures to create the illusion of depth is important. Use tall, spiky plants like Sunflowers or purple Delphiniums towards the back of the garden, use mid-sized perennials like Irises or Rudbeckias in the middle of the garden, and complete the lower edge with low-growing ground cover plants such as yellow Alyssum or Creeping Thyme. Layering gives the garden a sense of richness and abundance.
- Creating Seasonal Interest: Creating Seasonal Interest: Don’t let the show end! Consider choosing plants that bloom at different times of year to ensure continuous colour from early Spring through Fall. For example, you might start with early-season purple Crocus and allow them to fade to Summer Salvia, which would then transition to late-blooming yellow Asters.
- Balance and Symmetry: While you strive for the desired contrast, balance is necessary for harmony. Balance the opposite colours (blue and orange/purple and yellow) evenly throughout the space. A skilled planting designer ensures that the two elements are not grouped in an unattractive manner but instead appear in consistent, harmonious units.
- Consider Foliage Too: While we encourage clients to look beyond the blooms, plants with coloured leaves (such as Heuchera or Ornamental Grasses) can add tremendous interest and depth to your garden design and keep the overall design intact, regardless of whether the primary flowers are in bloom.
Our Colourful Plant Suggestions for Planting Designers (And You!) Here are some of our favourite pairing plants:
Fantastic Purple and Blue Plants:
- Lavender: Lavender is iconic for its fragrant purple flowers and silvery foliage. It thrives in warm, dry borders.
- Salvia: Salvia are hardy perennials that produce stunning spikes of true purple flowers that butterflies adore (try Salvia nemorosa Caradonna or Amistad)
- Eryngium: A bold and bright blue thistle that thrives on the coast, try the ‘Big Blue’ ones.
- Agastache: One that the bees love with fragrant leaves, try the ‘Blue Fortune’ or ‘Blue Boa’ range.
- Allium: Architectural and globe-shaped flowers that add a unique vertical element and structure, especially ‘Purple Giant’.
Bright Yellow and Orange Plants:
- Sunflowers: Sunflowers are towering, joyful, and add a massive burst of happy yellow to your garden.
- Coreopsis: Coreopsis is easy to grow, reliable in producing bright yellow flowers, and attracts beneficial insects.
- Daylilies (Hemerocallis): Daylilies come in a wide variety of yellow and orange hues and are extremely durable even on the coast, a true workhorse in the world of perennial plants.
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia): These feature bright yellow petals with a dark centre and contrast perfectly with almost every type of purple flower, especially planted on mass.
- Yarrow (Achillea): Features flat clusters of yellow flowers (‘Moonshine’) and orange flowers (‘Terracotta’). Delicate, fern-like foliage, fantastic for texture.
Tips and Tricks for Maintaining Your Beautiful Colour Scheme from Planting Designers.
We know maintaining your beautiful colour scheme may seem overwhelming; however, by following these simple guidelines, you can maintain your colour scheme for years to come:
- Watering: Make sure your plants receive adequate water, especially during heat waves. However, make sure to check each plant’s watering requirements – for example, lavender likes to remain dry while coreopsis requires more frequent watering. Over-watering is one of the most common mistakes made by even the most seasoned gardeners!
- Pruning and Deadheading: Pruning and deadheading (removing spent flowers) are essential. Pruning encourages the plant to expend its energy on new growth and a prolonged blooming period..
- Soil Quality: Most of these plants thrive in well-draining soil. If you have heavy clay soil, consider adding compost or other organic materials to improve drainage and soil quality
- Pest Monitoring: Keep a watchful eye on your plants. Early detection is crucial in catching pest or disease problems before they become severe. We, as professional planting designers, recommend using natural products whenever possible
With thoughtful selection and arrangement of colourful plants, you can create a garden that is not only visually stunning but also inviting and energetic. Enjoy the harmony and peace brought to your outdoor space by the use of these complementary colours. If you are planning a large project, please consult local planting designers for personalised guidance! Happy Gardening!
Find some of our bold colourful schemes at our Rottingdean Project.
Plants Sourced by: Palmstead
