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For example, red is symbolized in many colors with danger (as found on our stop signs and lights).
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Properties of ColorĬolors mean many things to many people, but one thing that is certain is that it can impact our emotions and psychology. Individual flowers in a perennial bed also combine to provide an overall color scheme. If you look closely at one brushstroke of his paintings you will see several colors combined which provide the overall color scheme. The artist Monet composed his garden with the eye of a painter. This 19th century garden designer developed color theories in her perennial garden designs which are still influencing gardens today. In the garden, this color theory was perhaps best known in the work of Gertrude Jekyll. The three secondary colors are orange (red and yellow), green (yellow and blue), and purple (blue and red). The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. The color wheel uses twelve hues, which are divided into three categories. These are most commonly arranged in what is known as a color wheel. The prism broke up white light into the familiar rainbow of hues. This was proven by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century when he put white light through a prism. As famous color authority Faber Birren once said, "Color is the one experience in life that requires no conscious struggle of the intellect to appreciate."Ĭolor theory is extremely complex, but the essential fact is that color is a property of light. Provide variety and interest through the seasonsĬolor has a basic, instinctive visual appeal.Attract animals and insects, such as birds and butterflies.Blend the exterior environment with structural colors to tie the overall design.Accent important areas that you want noticed (for example the front door).To bring life and excitement to the landscape.Vision is the first sense that we utilize to gather an impression, from which all other senses follow.Ĭolor can be utilized in the garden for the following effects: This is not to imply that color is unimportant, for in terms of the human senses it is paramount. Solving functional needs, activity areas, use spaces, and circulation patterns should be achieved first, with color being the patina in which the rest are painted. The addition of spice should not make the meal, yet instead enhance the subtle qualities of its flavors.Ĭolor is among the last considerations in the landscape design process.
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As in cooking, too much spice can render a meal inedible, a very common mistake is to substitute color for a good garden design. Color is the most rewarding, yet challenging, element to work with in the landscape.
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