| For most of us our garden is our refuge. The | | | | colors in your house to colors in your |
| open blue sky and plant shapes, smells and | | | | landscape. Trying matching your house's trim |
| colors are elemental. | | | | color to provide a unified, coordinated look, |
| | | | or choose a contrasting color to add |
| But when it comes to garden furniture, many | | | | interest. One customer in the Boston suburbs |
| people choose their garden furniture without | | | | placed her two seat bench in a pale Daffodil |
| thinking about how the furniture's colors | | | | yellow to complement her slate blue porch. |
| interact with the environment they will be | | | | With spring flowers it was a welcome light |
| placed in. High-quality garden furniture can | | | | color; in the Fall it set off chrysanthemums |
| sometimes be found in a variety of colors, or | | | | and traditional gourds. |
| you can paint your furniture yourself. My | | | | |
| customers often ask me how to integrate | | | | Colorful furniture with a purpose: If |
| colorful furniture into their garden or | | | | there's lots of shade in your yard, chose a |
| landscape. They want to know about color | | | | vibrant color - colors in shade look great. |
| combinations, how to use furniture as a color | | | | If you want to draw your eye across the |
| accent, how to draw your eye with color, or | | | | landscape chose a bold punctuation color. If |
| how to create a serene place with color. It's | | | | there is dominant color in the garden or |
| a part of my business I really enjoy. | | | | house, chose a color that either compliments |
| | | | or contrasts. For best results, keep the |
| Consider these possibilities for using color | | | | color scheme in the garden simple by sticking |
| with your garden furniture: | | | | to one, two or three colors. Avoid a shotgun |
| | | | approach with one color here and one color |
| Contrasting colors: When a garden design | | | | there. A simple design that takes your house |
| calls for vibrant color I advise contrasting | | | | color into account gives a planned, unified |
| colors such as blue or purple near yellows; | | | | look to the garden and your home. |
| or orange or orange-red against emerald or | | | | |
| lime greens. Even black furniture (say | | | | Colors for all the seasons: If you don't |
| against a hedge of yellow forsythia) can | | | | have a green thumb and you have a hard time |
| create a dynamic contrast. Imagine the impact | | | | producing harmonious color in your garden, |
| of periwinkle blue Adirondack chairs against | | | | colorful furniture may be the answer. And |
| a backdrop bed of bright yellow daylilies. | | | | think about winter too. After the May flowers |
| | | | have passed and the vibrant colors have |
| Harmonious colors: If you don't want to | | | | vanished, a well placed piece of colorful |
| challenge the eye or you want a garden space | | | | furniture can break up the steady diet of |
| to look larger, choose your garden furniture | | | | gray and add a bit of brightness to the |
| in colors that match their surroundings. | | | | landscape. |
| Solid wooden furniture with a rich coat of | | | | |
| paint will make every inch of the garden feel | | | | How do I make up my mind? Many gardeners can |
| luxurious. A bright lime green in a dark, | | | | have a hard time deciding on right color, |
| shady spot adds light and an airy quality. | | | | given the myriad of choices and combinations |
| | | | available. Check to see if your furniture |
| Furniture that matches a garden accent: Think | | | | manufacturer can give you pictures of the |
| about what you want to highlight. A customer | | | | product you are purchasing in several |
| in New England placed a bright tangerine | | | | different colors, or use paint swatches, and |
| garden bench alongside her koi pond. In this | | | | bring them with you to the garden to see how |
| case, the bright bench matched her favorite | | | | they match or contrast the natural colors |
| garden accent, her orange fish. | | | | there. |
| | | | |
| Serene colors: A customer in the pacific | | | | There are many books available today |
| Northwest selected an Adirondack chair | | | | providing excellent guidance on color in the |
| painted in white, for her moon garden that | | | | garden. Concepts that apply to juxtaposing |
| was planted with all white flowers. She tells | | | | plant colors often make sense when |
| me she lounges in her chair, listening to the | | | | considering the use of color in furnishing |
| night noises under the full moon, her white | | | | your outdoor space. Given the joys of |
| flowers glowing in the moonlight. | | | | gardening and all the hard work involved, I |
| | | | always recommend you top off your labors with |
| Color can bring your house and garden | | | | handsomely crafted, durable wooden furniture |
| together: A colorful piece of furniture on a | | | | in a color that rewards your view, let alone |
| front porch can match your shutters and tie | | | | the brown dirt under your nails. |