14 Favorite Garden Color Combos

Garden designers and landscapers share their favorite hues for spring gardens.

By: Lori Johnston
Related To:
Color Gardening

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Scheurich

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Landscape Plans Plus

Photo By: Photo courtesy of the National Garden Bureau

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Lorraine Fincher

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Lorraine Fincher

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Scheurich

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Landscape Plans Plus

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Scheurich

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Reposed

Photo By: Photo courtesy of Landscape Plans Plus

Photo By: Photo courtesy of The Home Depot

Photo By: Photo courtesy of The Home Depot

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.

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