Infusing the landscape with certain hues can help moderate temperature conditions and make it more comfortable and eye-catching
Color is a powerful tool . By using it skillfully , you’re able to make any sizing outdoor infinite visually impactful . Color can also be used to ensure our landscapes are more well-fixed in both spicy and cold weather . In addition , we can accent focal points and draw off hoi polloi to specific area to warm up or cool down . Here are three ways colour can help oneself the Southern California garden ( or anyplace that sees big temperature swings ):
In a raging , full - sunlight garden , an array of silver and blue — provided here by plants and pots — make a sense of tonic composure .
In direct contrast , red-hot colors like orangish , xanthous , and red make this lakeside garden experience warmer than it really is .
1. Use specific hues to warm the garden in winter and cool it in blazing summer
As we enrol our coolheaded season in Southern California , landscapes near the ocean and at higher elevation start to uprise a noticeable pall in the air while inland gardens , which have been roasting in the summertime , catch a open frame from summertime ’s blaze heat . Unlike other parts of the res publica , the varying terrain can make signally different conditions for various sections of SoCal . But autumn and wintertime entice all of us outdoors to establish , redesign , and just savour the fresher , cleaner melody . This is the perfect time to color your garden for mantrap and comfort . Depending on your taste and location , you may make any part of your landscape better by turning the visual temperature up or down with color .
Cool colors like blue devils , purpleness , and some pinks bring to listen refreshing water system , ice , and comfort , so should be used by those who delight lower temperature . Hot colors like reds , orange tree , and yellows contemplate the passion of our fiery sun , so these hues are best placed in the garden of Southern Californians who want to warm up as winter arrives . By coordinating flowering times , a ingenious gardener can even plan garden to deepen vividness “ temperatures ” to intercede the seasonal changes .
Adding coloured nonliving materials like décor , gravel , tumbled glass , containers , and outdoor furniture can boost colour effect ( blues = coolheaded ; reds = affectionate ) and bear upon ambient temperatures while reducing water needs and maintenance twelvemonth - round . Physical temperature alteration happen with color too . Darker shades absorb the sun ’s hotness , while lighter tone reflect it , so avoid dark material on walls that present full Dominicus or walking surfaces with paved materials , especially where warmth might be uncomfortable . Conversely , use this construct to store heating in parky spots for wintertime warmth .
2. Light up shady areas with variegated leaves and white or pastel blooms
Although our local SoCal clime offer less shade than many other parts of the country , magnetic north - facing exposures and sheltered areas are great opportunities to use white . White lean to wash out in full sun , but pops brilliantly where shadiness darkens the usual screen background of green leave . White flowers , and leaves splashed with livid , will stand out the most . But bring some light tone of pink , peach , or pale yellow and the dreary shadow will brighten up . light up these areas increase the appeal of the blank space and can entice visitors into lingering longer .
3. Mass bright colors to create impactful curb appeal or inviting, comfortable privacy
Using strong colors massed together is a powerful attention - getter . Consider using a variety of industrial plant that all flower in a single color feeling . you may increase the drama even more by supply foliage with colourful motley farewell . Or create a celebration of diverse , shiny colors intermingle in the same garden space .
position these muscular color punches in specific domain of the landscape can increase curbing appeal or entice visitor toward a specific , more comfortable , part of the garden . Color is the idealistic decorative tool for design within our changing climate . Heat , drouth , or cool breezes do not have to limit the imagination or beauty for any SoCal garden !
For more on designing with bold colour , check out these article :
contrive a Garden with Bold Colors
Some Like It Hot
Color Can Make or Break Your Garden
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discover more information onSouthwest horticulture here .
— Jane Gates has more than 35 years of professional experience design and gardening in Los Angeles and is the author ofAll the Garden ’s a phase : Choosing the Best Performing plant for a Sustainable Garden .
photograph : Danielle Sherry
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Color can add drama and appeal to a landscape, but it can also help the surrounding climate conditions, cool or hot, feel better.
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In a hot, full-sun garden, an array of silver and blue—provided here by plants and pots—creates a sense of refreshing calm.
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In contrast, hot colors like orange, yellow, and red make this lakeside garden feel warmer than it actually is.
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A smattering of variegated hostas (Hosta cvs., Zones 3–9) lures visitors to the shady garden toward a seating area with a wishing well. The splashes of white are a beacon in this otherwise dark green sea of foliage.
A mass planting along this walkway stops passersby in their tracks. Nearly all the blooms are a shade of bright pink to purple. Relying on just one family of colors from a variety of plants makes the planting ultra-impactful.
