Spring Gardens: A Canvas of Color

Watercolor painting is a great way for people to relax and express their creativity. It is also a way to show appreciation for the beauty around them. Most of us can remember when we gazed on a pretty watercolor of a sunset, flowers, or other scene, and sighed in appreciation. The mix of colors was breathtaking.

Well, just like a watercolor artist who creates a colorful painting, gardeners and lawn designers are also “artists” who create beautiful “paintings” that passersby gaze upon, and sigh at them in appreciation. A gardener’s palette is vast, and includes the lawn, outdoor décor, and colorful flowers and foliage that together complete a beautiful picture.

Regardless of the season, adding color to any landscape will give it a new and bright look and feel that captures attention and gains appreciation. The Grounds Guys offers these tips on how you can plan a fun, festive color display at your residence or business:

DEVISE A PLAN

• Decide on the type of garden you want. If you like structure, design a flowerbed with colors balanced on each side of a focal point in the middle. To highlight trees or bushes, create a garden of colors that flow around them. To add emphasis to a home, building, fence, driveway, or sidewalk, plot a narrow bed with colors in a row. If you have a large space, add an island-shaped flowerbed with tall plants in the middle and shorter ones on the edges.
• Select seeds, bulbs or live plants for your garden. When making your choices, choose a variety of perennials, annuals and bulbs that bloom at various times during the spring, summer and fall, so you can enjoy color for several months. Tip: Wait to plant annuals until the weather is warmer and frost danger has passed.
• Choose the edge shape for your flowerbeds. Hard-edged square and rectangular beds work well with traditional and modern landscapes. Unleash your creativity with curvy edged beds. Mimic the shape of your home or lawn for an appealing look. Tip: Test different shapes by laying a water hose or rope in different shapes until you find one you like.

CREATE INTEREST & APPEAL

• Mix plant shapes and textures. A flowerbed that has a variety of shapes, from upright to gently spreading, offers more interest than one with the same look everywhere. Texture can also add interest. Mix some soft and fluffy plants with spikier and stiffer ones.
• Vary the plant heights. Choose small, medium, and large plants to add movement and depth to your flowerbeds.
• Add garden decorations, such as birdbaths, water features, statues, a trellis, or decorative rocks to draw attention to your landscape. Remember, not to overdo it with too many decorations that can become distracting.
• Complement your landscape with a comfortable garden bench in a shady spot in your landscape so you can sit and enjoy your hard work.
• Add an unexpected element to your design, like a patch of bright orange or red flowers, a lavender garden, or a butterfly garden.

SELECT YOUR COLORS

• Learn about the color wheel. The color wheel is a great tool to use when planning your flowerbed palette. The color wheel from Cornell University is based on the primary colors – red, yellow, and blue. In general, warm colors are red through yellow and cool colors are green through violet. Use a color wheel to coordinate flowers with the colors of your house or outdoor decor.
• Decide if you want your colors to be adjacent, complementary or monochromatic. Adjacent colors are similar to each other on the color wheel, like red and orange or blue and violet. Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel, like orange and blue or yellow and violet. Monochromatic colors are all shades and tones of the same color, like all pinks, whites, reds, blues, or violets.
• Use white and green effectively. White offers a cooling effect as the temperatures rise and offers a perceived “glow” at night. Green is a restful color and a low-key transition from one flowerbed to the other.

MAKE SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Select plants that are specific for your region, climate and soil. Check with your local nursery or The Grounds Guys expert to find out the best plants to fit your landscape.
• Determine if you need plants that work well in shade, partial sun, or full sun areas. Also, read the plant tag so you know how much water and fertilizer is needed to maintain the vibrant colors.
• Consider the amount of wind on your property. If you have a very windy area, choose low-growing varieties to keep the garden looking its best. Also, ask at your local garden store about sturdier plants that can act as wind guards for other plants.

With The Grounds Guys color program, you can add color and interest to your residential or commercial landscape and a fresh appearance to your property. The Grounds Guys can install garden or flower beds or maintain your current beds, including weed removal, insect control, disease control, and fertilization designed around your lawn care needs.