Not sure which bulbs to choose? Try our colour scheme tips

The colour of your garden can have a very profound effect on the overall mood that is created. Clever planting can make a garden feel cheerful, relaxing or even larger than it actually is. Here are some colour-related key tips to help you get the most out of your garden.

Warm colours
Warm colours like reds, yellows, oranges and hot pinks are real attention grabbers. These types of vivid colours make flowers appear closer than they actually are. This can be useful in a large garden that you want to make appear more intimate.

Cool colours
Blues, purples and light pinks are peaceful colours that can evoke tranquil and soothing emotions. They can also play with our perception and make a smaller garden appear larger than it is.

The colour wheel
Often people struggle to know which colours complement each other. What makes greens and oranges work well together? Why do blue and yellow sit well next to each other?

This is where the colour wheel can come in useful. It is based on the three primary colours of red, yellow and blue and then additional secondary and tertiary colours. It is used by everyone from landscape gardeners to interior designers to find great colour pallets.

When it comes to knowing which colours work well together, there are typically four schemes that designers use. They are monochromatic, analogous, contrasted and complementary schemes.

The monochromatic scheme involves tone on tone combinations that utilize different shades of a colour. For example, cayenne, blood orange and peach, or cotton blue, sea blue and royal blue.

The analogous scheme includes colours that are found adjacent to each other on the wheel. You start by picking your 'mother colour' and then pick two colours either side of it, such as orange and yellow, yellow and green or blue and purple. This provides a vibrant, yet relaxed feel.

A contrasted colour scheme ties in three selections of colour from across the wheel. You begin by choosing a base colour, then a complimentary colour and finally two more colours to the right of your main colours. For instance, you might choose red as the base colour, then green as a compliment and finally add an orange and blue to mix it up. This often creates an exciting and rich colour pairing that can bring an exotic and lively feel in tow.

A complementary colour scheme is a simple yet impactful colour scheme. You choose two colours that sit directly opposite each other on the colour wheel. For example, red and green, purple and yellow and blue and orange. This offers a bold, dynamic look.

Whilst designing gardens around colour schemes is a helpful route to creating a vibrant garden, it's important to remember that nature always retains the upper hand. Some plants simply don't play well together and so you need to think carefully about which bulbs you choose, beyond simply the colours.

If you're finding this all too confusing, then simply use your intuition and plant bulbs that you think will look great next too each other. You can always balance things out later on by planting cooling, pale colours.

If you need more help or advice on colours then please contact us. Boston Bulbs Wholesale is a privately-owned business with over 35 years' experience of importing only the finest quality horticultural products throughout Europe and from farmers and growers all over the UK.

Whether you're a landscaper, nursery, local authority, wholesaler, retailer, private business or individual gardener, just give us a call on 01775 769 333 or visit / for help with flower bulbs, grass seed and more.