Garden trends - bright colours

We all need uplifting colour in our lives at the moment in particular, and people are increasingly drawn to planting with bold, vibrant hues to create spaces that are uplifting and full of joy, life and fun.

Rich rusty oranges and yellows, intense purples and deep reds work wonderfully together to create a sumptuous vibrancy.  Orange is a gorgeous colour in the garden and for an early hit you can’t beat Geum ‘Totally Tangerine,’ or the more subtle G. ‘Mai Tai’, which is lovely planted through low-growing grasses such as Sesleria autumnalis and stunning with alliums.  Later in the season Kniphofia 'Tawny King', stunning Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ and Dahlia ‘David Howard’ keep the colour going.  Euphorbia griffithii ‘Dixter,’ is another stunning plant with deep orange flower heads.

Strong yellows such as bright Achillia ‘Moonshine,’ and golden Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm,’ will always lift the spirits and work well with purple asters and Verbena bonariensis.  Brilliant reds of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, or C. ‘Emberglow', Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’, Monarda ‘Cambridge Scarlet,’ and red persicarias such as ‘Red Dragon,’ add real richness and look great with lots of green foliage, deep blue agapanthus and ornamental grasses.

Deep purples such as Salvia ‘Amistad’ work really well with these hot colours, adding a perfect contrast.  Add some pops of hot pink with fabulous Lychnis coronaria or pink Echinacea such as ‘Amazing Dream’.  I also find the acid green of euphorbias makes the perfect foil to these hot colours and makes them pop.