• When beginning to work with colour, start with just two—yellow
and orange, for example—and make small groupings, repeating both
hues and plant shapes. • When pairing flowering and foliage
plants, don’t assume every green leaf will work effectively with
every flower colour. For example, a purple bloom will stand out
against chartreuse foliage, but will disappear against a darker,
duller leaf. • Pay attention to foliage, which always dominates
the border. Look for patterns and colours in the leaves and echo
them in nearby plants. For example, match the purple-red splotch
in the centre of ‘Sunspot’ heucherella with a flower of the same
colour. • Study how colour works in the natural landscape and
mimic these effects in your garden. White separates colours from
one another, emphasizing other plants. Blue in the background
makes a space look larger, while yellow lights up dark corners;
keep in mind that red and purple are harder to see from • Use
colour to evoke emotion. For example, light shades create a
feelin