14 Favorite Garden Color Combos
Garden designers and landscapers share their favorite hues for spring gardens.

By:
Lori Johnston
Going Green
Mixing white with green and lime green is a great choice because it's versatile and fits different styles of homes and gardens, says designer Carmen Johnston of Nectar & Co. in Georgia.
Mixing It Up
These flowers and hanging containers display garden designers' favorite hues for spring - green, gray, yellow, pink, white and purple.
Complementary Colors
Tones opposite on the color wheel, such as purples and yellows, create colorful curb appeal in this landscape by Landscape Plans Plus, an Atlanta company.
Bright Tones
Yellows and golds, such as these Gaillardia 'Mesa Yellow' provide a strong contrast to purples and pinks in garden beds, says Danna Cain of Home & Garden Design in Atlanta. She also recommends Lola Lantana, marigolds, Lantana 'New Gold' and calibrachoa.
Dainty Delights
If you are tired of the monochromatic look or want a new option, planting flowers in purple, pink, yellow and white will add new interest to a garden.
Perfect Pairing
For a community garden, Landscape Plans Plus in Georgia plants yellow and purple flowers next to each other. They're both cool colors that can intensify each other in gardens.
Deep-Hued Deck
When grouping plants together, it depends on sun, shade and water, but Lorraine Fincher of Hannah's Garden Shop in Alabama enjoys this mixture of deep colors and garden foliage in containers.
In Love with Lavender
Mixing lavender and gray is one of garden designer Carmen Johnston's suggestions.
Multi-color Garden Design
Deep purples look lovely in beds, especially when contrasted with perennials in yellow/gold and pink (such as these crepe myrtles). Always add a touch of white, says Danna Cain, a garden designer and co-owner of Home & Garden Design in Atlanta.
Pretty in Pink
Consider placing pink blooms in a container with ultra-popular gray hues. Some pale pink choices that garden designer Danna Cain recommends are begonia, annual vinca and zinnia.
Cool Colors
One favorite pairing is blues, purples and greens, says Lorraine Fincher, with Hannah's Garden Shop in Birmingham, Ala. All three are calming cool tones.
Vibrant Foliage
For amazing color, consider using purple heart, with its purple stems and pink flowers, and other plants in deep shades such as coleus and Persian shield. They provide a contrast in this yard with the big green leaves and red blooms of 'Angel Wing' begonia.
Take Your Pick
If you want to mix different colors in one bed, go for it, says Lorraine Fincher, with Hannah's Garden Shop in Birmingham, Ala. "You can't go wrong with throwing a rainbow of colors together," she says.
Garden of Many Colors
To create a cohesive multi-colored landscape or garden bed, bring together hues such as deep purples, pinks, yellows and white flowers. A touch of light blue or pink or a blue-based red might also work, but that depends on the color of the house, says Danna Cain with Home & Garden Design in Atlanta.