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Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

This seaside planting of stock and viper’s bugloss shows off the natural color combination of “blue” and pink.

You can practically paint your garden with perennials since they bloom in a brilliant range of colors from orange daylilies to blue-violet sage and yellow-green hellebore to rich scarlet lobelia. Or you can stick with a monochromatic theme, featuring a mass of one color achieved by planting flowers and plants all within the same color range with complementary and contrasting shades. Choose your perennials’ foliage and bloom colors to accent or coordinate with existing garden colors such as those of your home – or those in the leaf and bloom colors of nearby trees and shrubs. The combination of unusual form and color make a good choice for colorful plantings.

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Photo Credit: ©2001 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Red-hot poker is usually featured in perennial plantings for its distinctive fire-red form, but it’s also available in brilliant yellow-orange varieties like these.

Both foliage and bloom colors allow you to set moods and play with depth perception to create a sense of deepness in smaller yards. For example, blue-tinged hues of violet, lavender and pink seem to recede, while warm yellows, oranges and reds seem to advance toward you. Planting a small terrace with pink, blue and lavender blooms can make it appear larger, while a border of gold and scarlet daylilies around a vast lawn makes a space seem cozier. Strong, contrasting colors make the most of sunny sites at midday. And white is most visible as twilight nears and is ideal for gardeners who enjoy their outdoor spaces in the evening.

Colors change a garden’s mood, too. Generally, cool blues, lavenders and violets are considered calming, while warm scarlets, oranges and yellows are energizing. A garden that projects a reserved and dignified tone calls for sober blue to pink tones, while a lively and gregarious front border is best with hot reds and vibrant yellows – or nearby family colors, like coral, lemon and pale melon.

On your next trip to the garden center, take a close look at the perennial palette displayed before you. Think about what kind of mood you’d like to create in your yard, then choose the plants and colors you like best to create that very special “living painting” in the garden.