A Garden of Color

Our gardens don't exist in a vacuum. They're influenced by contemporary color trends. For several years, chartreuse plants have gained in popularity. Now ones with dark foliage are in the spotlight as well. For both of these colors, there are suitable herbs that fit very nicely into these color schemes, such as the purplish-black basils and the variegated lemon balm with touches of yellow.

The Color Marketing Group is very influential in deciding what color palettes we'll see. They do surveys and come up with a national forecast of colors. Then, designers use these forecasts to come up with colorful products, including everything from flowerpots to home furnishings.

For 2004, the group has selected thirty new shades they expect to be very popular. Among these are Crystal Sky, a brilliant clear and clean blue, and Coppertunity, which is self-explanatory. They characterize Good Earth as a "new brown with Victorian roots." Experts expect the overall trend to be towards brighter, sophisticated colors expressing elegance, freshness, and innocence.

The names of the colors may change from year to year. Sometimes they're named for fruits or herbs, such as sage green.

When we think of color in the landscape, the first thing that comes to mind is flowers. For multi-seasonal interest, it is best to consider other plant features, such as foliage, particularly when we are dealing with herbs. It is also a good idea to emphasize the use of trees with colorful barks, and plants with pleasing shapes.

When it comes to choosing trees for the landscape, we should always consider bark. "Tree Bark-A Color Guide" by Hugues Vaucher from Timber Press is a one-of-a-kind guide featuring over 440 tree species and varieties with around 550 stunning color photos. The A-Z color tree makes up most of the book. In many cases, there are photos showing how the appearance of the bark can change as a tree ages. In the first three chapters, this world-renowned expert on trees provides a complete history of bark along with thoroughly interesting chapters on its function and physical features.

Pam Duthie's new book, "Continuous Color," from Ball Pub. is a month-by-month guide to using trees and shrubs for color in the landscape throughout the year. Each plant profile features a gorgeous color photo with a complete description along with details on culture, suitable landscape use, and hardiness zone. There are helpful chapters with gardening charts, a guide to getting started, a checklist of invasive plants, and much more. Duthie's first book, "Continuous Bloom: A Month-by-Month Guide to Nonstop Color in the Perennial Garden," received the Benjamin Franklin Gold Award.

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