Finding the Right Plant Articles
Some of the most beautiful gardens in the world are planted with a wide range of colors, from warm reds to cool blues and everything in between. Have you ever thought about trying to create a rainbow garden design using plants by color that included every shade of the spectrum? Officially, those colors are known as ROYGBIV on the spectrum—that stands for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. It might be fun to try a garden color combination like this!
We’ll help you get started using the colorful garden ideas for each color below to plan your rainbow garden design. We have plant lists compiled for every one in the rainbow. Tap the links within each color category to explore further. If you’d prefer a more limited color palette, simply pick your favorites below and get started.
Lilac is one of the most beloved spring-blooming shrubs, valued for its hardiness, reliability, carefree nature and intoxicating fragrance.
This Catmint plant is carefree, easy-to-grow, with an extra-long bloom time that deserves a spot in any landscape.
If you are anything like me, the dream is to have a gorgeous garden regardless of the time of year, a true garden for year-round color. Having a garden that is always colorful will take time, persistence, patience, and planning. Just like any other garden, a garden that is always in color will need updating and care as time goes on to support garden color all seasons. Here are twelve items to consider when planning an ever-colorful, year-round garden color.
Boxwood (Buxus spp.) is one of the most popular and versatile garden shrubs, providing year-round boxwood shrubs structure and color in the landscape.
Annual lobelia (Lobelia erinus) blooms prolifically for months, with a trailing, spreading or bushy habit that’s perfect for containers, lobelia hanging basket displays and landscape plantings.
Russian sage plant (Perovskia atriplicifolia, syn. Salvia yangii) offers carefree color, with an open airy habit and dreamy drifts of lavender-blue flowers that bloom from mid-summer into fall, making this Russian sage plant a standout in sunny landscapes.
Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a deciduous hydrangea shrub native to the southeastern US, grown for its attractive foliage, long-lasting flowers and four-season appeal.
Coleus is a tropical plant with striking foliage often grown as an annual. A highly popular bedding plant during Victorian times, this member of the mint family is easy to grow, rewarding with months of continuous color.
With dazzling flowers and evergreen foliage, loropetalum adds year-round interest to the landscape. Also known as Chinese fringe flower, this member of the witch hazel family produces clusters of delicate flowers from mid-winter to early spring when the garden is just awakening.
