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Colour Fashion: Gardens in Pink and Purple
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Today, gardens can be just as much a fashion statement as your clothes. Here we have ideas which explore the possibilities of fashionable colour in your garden. And colour not only concerns flowers. The colour of foliage is a key element in any garden and border. Flowers usually stay for no longer than a few weeks, whereas the foliage remains for much longer.
Ton sur Ton
'Ton sur Ton' (loosely translated as 'colour shade against colour shade') is a European approach to colour that seeks to explore the matching of pastels and soft colour shades with each other, to enhance both. Its use in the garden is one of the latest trends at the moment, using dark foliage as a base against which we have accents of soft pink and purple flowers. As these colours are all closely related, a harmonious 'Ton sur Ton' effect is obtained.
Decidedly dark foliage is likewise important, bringing strong accents to the garden. Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) is used, for instance, for its burgundy base colour which, mixed with the pink and purple pastels of flowers like Magnolia (M.lilliflora 'Suzan') create a stunning colour effect. A less obvious, but all the more amazing, combination is that of the Smoke Tree (Cotinus 'Royal Purple'), the Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) and Clematis (Clematis 'Niobe'). The Smoke Tree has deep, dark red foliage, the Butterfly Bush has bright pink flower spikes and setting these against the deep, velvety red flowers of the Clematis, which would form the main feature perhaps overgrowing a pillar, is sensational.
Mysterious shades
Deep purple is not a very common colour in nature and therefore often creates a mysterious atmosphere. This effect can be enhanced if the dark foliage is combined with deep burgundy and pink or purple flowers. Suitable candidates are Poppies, Iris (Tangerine Charm) and Shrub Roses like the "black"-flowered 'Mildred Scheel', or the dark red and silver white 'Osiria'.
Summer flowering bulbs are also perfect for this effect. Try a group of the black-red Gladioli 'Arabian Night' or the Lily 'America', with its blood red flowers, and don't forget the enormous choice in Dahlias like the large-flowered lilac-red 'Orfeo' or the low-growing purple-red 'Maroen'.
A fairy garden
The combination of pastel pink or white flowers creates an effect that is even more magical. Try using these flowers against dark foliage and then repeating the colours in a slightly different way throughout the garden, to create a clear colour theme. The numerous shades of pink of Lavatera all look fantastic against the deep red foliage of a Beech Hedge (Fagus sylvatica purpurea). In addition Peonies, in white through to cherry, mixed with Poppies, are also a perfect match. Choose low growing and ground cover plants in the same shades to complete the garden.
Paint the woodwork or a garden seat in a matching shade to add the finishing touch.
The prettiest plants with the darkest leaves
What plants give us the loveliest dark colour foliage? The following are good examples: Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum), The Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'), Wolfsbane (Euphorbia amyugdaloides 'Purpurea'), Fennel (Foneiculum vulgare 'Giant Bronze', Heuchera (Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple'), Rose (Rosa glauca), Berberis 'Atropurperea' and Photinia 'Red Robin'
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