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5 Ways to Plant a Big Kiss of Red on Your Landscape
Ignite passion in your garden beds and container plantings with flowers and foliage in this dynamic color
Houzz Contributor. I'm a home and garden writer and the former editor of both Country Gardens and Country Home. When I'm not writing or editing, I can be found in the garden or renovating our family's 1860s brick farmhouse.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a home and garden writer and the former editor of... More »
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The Scarlet Letter. Scarlett O’Hara. Few colors connote passion and drama quite like the color red. In the landscape, as in literature, this fiery hue cranks up the heat, stimulating energy, confidence and enthusiasm. Whether you wish to make a bold statement or accentuate a focal point, here are five ways to landscape with red.
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1. Command Attention
Like a stop sign, red makes us pause. Take advantage of this bold hue in the landscape to direct the eye where you want it. Here, swaths of red impatiens funnel attention to the front door.
Like a stop sign, red makes us pause. Take advantage of this bold hue in the landscape to direct the eye where you want it. Here, swaths of red impatiens funnel attention to the front door.
Rely on red to emphasize focal points, including urns, planters and fountains.
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| Use crimson flowers to bring vibrant energy to an otherwise neutral landscape. Because a little red can go a long way, this hot color is ideal in dry climates, where plants are scarcer. |
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2. Layer for Effect
Red appears to come forward in the landscape, which helps make a large garden feel more intimate.
Red appears to come forward in the landscape, which helps make a large garden feel more intimate.
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| Plant red toward the end of a destination, such as a long walkway, where its brilliant color will entice guests down the path. |
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Few colors extend as warm a welcome as red. Tap into its friendly spirit by planting pots of red flowers up your front steps or flanking your front door with them.
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| 3. Choose Shades of Difference Red-browns and terra-cotta reds provide a warm, autumnal look. Look to foliage options for this earthy scheme. Find plants with red foliage in the Houzz plant guides |
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| Dark reds (and deep purples) are among the first colors to recede in waning light. Limit them if you want to enjoy an evening garden. |
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| Red and yellow are a classic summer garden color combination. Offer a wide range of flowers in these colors then; coincidentally, they look best in bright sunlight. Find great red flowers | Browse yellow flowers |
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| 4. Play It Cool Temper red's bold nature by pairing it with complementary green. |
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A little red, such as in this Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron') can go a long way. Team it with serene blues, grays and greens for a refreshing look.
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Great plant companions, like airy red yarrow and spiked purple salvia, showcase a winning combination of hot and cool colors.
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| 5. Use Focal-Point Flowers Sure, you can grab attention with impatiens and geraniums, but other more unexpected specimens abound. One possibility: kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos ‘Red Cross’). |
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| Another lively candidate worth a closer look is Mukdenia 'Crimson Fans'. Somehow this plant blurs the line between flower and foliage. |
An old favorite from South Africa, Bright Eyes Montbretia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora) is a stunning plant that can stand alone as an accent plant or blend in with other hot-colored summer bloomers, like daylilies.
Comments
designchallenged Nice ideabook. I love red flowers. Are there any that deer don't like? 
3 months ago · Like
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gillianne I have a viscerally negative reaction to bright reds, to the point that I avoid them even in my garden except where I want to lure winged creatures. On the other hand, one of my favorite garden combos is vivid orange coupled with shades of blue and purple. Color preferences make for an interesting personality study, don't they? Many of us gravitate toward wardrobe hues we wouldn't want to live with in home decor, and vice versa. It's all about what makes us comfortable in our surroundings, when we have the luxury of attending to such matters.
3 months ago · Like
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Sherri Fitzgerald Beautiful photos!!! I love red in the garden!! Nice ideabook!
3 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on Feb. 14, 2013.
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