Whilst we are waiting hopefully for summer to arrive there is still plenty to do in the garden. My tomatoes have begun to show their first flowers and have put on quite a bit of growth. Some hyacinths that I underplanted in one of the large pots containing a pear tree have just come into flower, albeit they are only about 10cms tall. They were given to me as a present at the beginning of last year planted in a decorative basket. Bulbs that are artificially brought into flower early will take time to re-establish but at least they have put in an appearance. Meanwhile they have brought a splash of welcome, if unseasonal, colour to my containers.

In our quest for the right colours to transform our gardens it’s all too easy to overlook the importance of green as a colour in its own right. But just stop to think for a minute – how can we begin to plan a colour scheme without it? Green provides a cool and often luxuriant quality and without this the impact of all other colours can be lessened. Whatever colours you decide on they will set the mood of your garden. Greens, mauves and blues provide a cool atmosphere giving the effect of distance whilst reds, oranges and bright yellows are hot colours that bring the foreground to attention. White is perfect for dark areas and planted in swathes provides a refreshing and often welcome change of mood from much brighter colours. Whilst to get the best out of dark shades such as some blues, purple and crimson put them against a paler background where they will have a more dramatic impact.

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Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here