Body, soul and soil - calm colours in the garden

How calming is your garden?  We can use colour to create a peaceful and harmonious feel in our outdoor space, which soothes the senses and makes us feel calm.  If you’re thinking ahead to what you can plant during the coming year to make your garden more relaxing, consider adding blues, purples, soft pinks and greens to your palette.

Blue is a colour associated with nature - just observing water and clear skies can provide us with a boost and make us feel content.  Introducing blue flowers and similar tones into our gardens can have the same effect.

Soft blues and purples threaded through a border will give it unity and combine well with white flowers and silver-grey foliage to provide a Mediterranean feel and a cool effect.  Try salvias, iris and agapanthus, alongside Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina) or spiky Sea Holly (eg Eryngium giganteum).  You can introduce pinks too, to warm up the combination; pale pink roses and peonies will blend beautifully in this colour scheme, while cerise pink geraniums or echinacea will provide a warm pop of heat.

Another colour guaranteed to chill us out and make us feel zen is green.  Its neutral, natural shades are soothing and undemanding - so use plenty of foliage and flowers in shades of green in areas of the garden where you want to feel peaceful.  The lush leaves of hostas are perfect in shady spots where you might want to sit on a hot summer’s day; while the deep evergreens of holly, ivy or yew are a welcome sight from the kitchen window in the colder months.  Continue these fresh vibes into spring and summer by planting green flowering plants such as hellebores, alchemilla (lady’s mantle), zinnias and chrysanthemums.