One of the most popular and easy flower color combinations is blue, yellow and white. Another is the traditional red, white and blue. Some trend-setting combinations are burgundy, gray and light pink, or orange, white, gold and red. Try combining different blues, purples and white, or dark reds, pinks and white. Pinks, blues and white is a traditional pastel combination. Add a little pale yellow to brighten a grouping for our climate.
A garden can change colors too! Many early-season perennials have pink, blue and white flowers. Later-season perennials tend towards the stronger yellows and golds, oranges and reds. You can have both color schemes if you are careful in blending the in-between season.
A wonderful book on flower colors is Malcolm Hillier’s Color Garden: A Year-Round Guide to Creating Imaginative Color Combinations. Other sources of flower color information include: seed and plant catalogs, other gardening books, your local garden center or nursery for assistance identifying plants for various color groups.
Are you wild and zany or calm and mellow? Let the colors of your garden express your personality.
For more information, see the following Colorado State Extension fact sheet(s).
- Ornamental Grasses
- Wildflowers in Colorado
- Ground Cover Plants
- Rock garden Plants
- Herbaceous Perennials
- Flowers for Mountain Communities
- Spring-Planted Bulbs, Corms and Roots
