Contrast - Part 2

Plants with colored or variegated leaves can be used to contrast with green leaved plants, but are often difficult to place in a garden. I personally think that that plants with variegated or yellow leaves look so unnatural that they should only be placed in locations where a piece of sculpture would be equally effective, but plants with red leaves tend to blend better with green leaves and gray leaved plants can be planted with abandon. Gray is one of the best blenders. A garden filled with gray leaved plants can be a riot of color because gray harmonizes and contrasts with every color.

Contrast can also be introduced into informal gardens by contrasting textures. This will be more effective in a green garden than a garden which is filled with colorful flowers because texture is more noticeable in an all green garden. Traditional Japanese gardens are excellent examples of this approach, where flower color is seasonal and gardens are green for most of the year. One of the most effective uses of contrast in traditional Japanese gardens is when a carefully shaped pine tree is viewed against a plain white wall. Rocks and gravel also play an important role in these gardens and naturally contrast with plants.

This series of articles about the principles of design are based upon the "Handbook For Flower Shows" which points out that there is something very important to remember about contrast by stating that "Equal amounts of contrasting textures, colors or forms divide attention, faulting dominance". This means that equal amounts of contrast will undermine the need for one color or texture to be dominant. My next article will be about dominance, but it is important to remember that all of the principles of design have to work together. Clarice T. Wilson did an excellent job of explaining this in her book "Art Principles of Flower Arrangement", copyright 1961, when she wrote that "All the principles of design are a check on each other. The contrasting direction of lines establishes balance. Contrast stops rhythm from going too far. Contrast brings dominance into sharp focus, and gives emphasis to good proportion." This balance between the principles of design should be the primary goal of any designer

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This article is based upon the Handbook for Flower Shows, copyright 1997 by the National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc. 1999 revised edition.

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