Garden Color Combinations: Considering Complementary Colors

I am always trying to find the best color combinations for flowering plants in the garden, aren’t you? Gardeners ask other gardeners for their thoughts on this, new homeowners scan well-kept yards and flip through magazines for ideas, and shoppers ask nursery staff for advice. The answer to “what is best” is varied. But change “best” to “incredibly attractive”, and now we are talking.

Right now, my focus is on using flowering plants that bloom in complementary colors which sit opposite each other on the color wheel. Even if we do not have the make-up of the color wheel committed to memory, naming complementary colors is easy. These are color pairs that provide striking contrasts. Think of the Christmas colors, red and green. These are opposite on the color wheel and have great impact. The others are yellow and purple, orange and blue.

Yellow and Purple, Complementary Color Scheme

Yellow-purple garden beds are some of my favorites. Flowering plants that bloom in yellow are abundant; purple plants are admired. Used in combination, these two produce a look that is very attractive. Think yellow Daffodils and purple Hyacinths mixed together and you will know the pleasing result.

For longer-lasting blooms to enjoy past spring and through summer, picture the yellow flowers of Tickseed, Potentilla, or Portulaca coming up against the purple of Buddleia, the Butterfly Bush. Buddleia comes in a variety of shades, with favorites ranging from pale lavender to deep violet. The saturated yellow blooms of Portulaca Colorblast Lemon Twist could sit beneath any shade of purple Buddleia blooms and create a stunning look.

In working with complementary colors, I find that playing with whole color categories is the way to go—any yellow paired with any purple, either a pale lavender Buddleia or a deep purple Buddleia could work; similarly, any orange paired with any shade of blue might be nice. A saturated tone does not necessarily have to pair with another saturated tone. A pale hue does not necessarily have to pair with another pale hue. Instead, mix-and-match is best. This approach is not limiting, and it can result in beautiful displays of flowering plants. 

But no matter how carefully put-together displays may be, we gardeners must remember that blooms do not last forever. When putting together a garden display in colors I love, I aim to use flowering plants that maintain their beauty for most of the summer. Buddleia keeps blooming; Portulaca has staying power for the season, in my Zone, and even longer in warmer climates. Colors that appear courtesy of these plants will not “fade” as the season progresses as quickly my Daffodils and Hyacinths already have.

Orange and Blue, Complementary (and ready for Compliments)

The orange-blue garden color scheme reminds me of the sky at sunrise with blue ocean beneath it. This complementary color scheme can utilize peaceful and more muted tones, such as the pale peach of the At Last® Rose and the blue spires of Chocolate Chip Ajuga, one of my favorite flowering plants that covers ground in dark mounds. The peachy Roses could also look beautiful near the taller Caryopteris Beyond Midnight®, one of the Bluebeards. Caryopteris blooms mid-summer and into fall, so it has good staying power when color is really needed. With the At Last® Rose being the palest version of an “orange”, the scheme is striking yet not out-of-bounds. But pair the same blue Caryopteris with bright and saturated orange Butterfly Weed, and the combination has a different appeal… powerful, bold, striking. 

Just as the blue of Caryopteris can be paired with flowering plants that bloom in different hues of orange, the blue in the equation can change. Replace the rich blue of Caryopteris with the pale blue of Creeping Thyme Leaf Speedwell, and the picture changes just a bit. There is still a nice play of color against color, courtesy of the complementary scheme, but with slightly less of a punch.

Abundant Choices

Choose Caryopteris for rich blue and Buddleia for shades of purple. These flowering plants are wonderful for adding color to a garden bed. But other plants that you might like better or are able to find more readily can replace these choices. For purple, consider pale Perovskia, medium-toned and brighter Nepeta, true-purple Veronica, or inky Purple Re-blooming Irises as effective choices, just as Buddleia is a great choice. For blue, consider Delphiniums, blue-blooming Cranesbills, and more to replace or even join Caryopteris. Choose the plants you like best, the plants you can find… but let the color direct you, to some extent.

Adopting a complementary color scheme for at least one garden bed ensures that the flowering plants you choose will show well. In saturated tones, the colors can be said to “pop”. In paler gradations of the same color pairs—red and green, yellow and purple, and orange and blue—the colors will make a calmer statement.

Complementary color schemes are not the only color schemes to consider for the garden. But oh, how well they work to make garden beds beautiful.