DESIGNING COLORFUL
XERISCAPES
Tom Stephens — Landscape Architect
Your Landscape Solutions
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| In
landscape design, the major use of color occurs primarily
with leaf of foliage of a plant. But the flower,
fruit, stem, and bark colors are also important. Leaf
colors are primarily in the green range and are produced by
the existence of chlorophyll. They can change during
the seasons depending on the intensity of light or shadow
and the amount of chlorophyll and other pigments in the
leaf. |
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| Warm colors such
as reds, oranges, and yellows tend to be bright, light and
inviting. They are often used at front or main
entrances to a building or a home to provide a welcoming
atmosphere. They also tend to advance toward the
viewer causing a space to seem smaller. Cool colors
such as greens, grays, and blues tend to be restful and
receding, creating a calming atmosphere. They are
often used in small spaces such as courtyards and enclosed
patios to make them seem larger and more expansive. |
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| Permanent
Xeriscape plantings can include the use of low-water
consuming evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, vines, and
ground covers, with color accents provided with the use of
spring and summer bulbs, annuals, biennials, and
perennials. The wide variety of low-water consuming
flowers currently available in the nursery industry can
provide multi-seasonal color in your Xericsape from early
spring with crocus, hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips; into
later spring with basket-of-gold, and bearded iris; through
the summer with daylilies, blanket flower, and coreopsis;
and into the fall with asters, and garden mums. |
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| Because of the
wide variety of foliage and flower colors and the effect of
light and shadow and the changing seasons of the year, the
colorful plant palette should be chosen carefully. It
is usually best to determine a color scheme or theme using
complimentary colors with an occasional variance for
emphasis with contrasting colors. However, do not be
afraid to experiment, since the colors often do not last
long and you can make a change with the next season or the
next year by changing the types and varieties of plants you
use for color and accent. |
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| With the diversity of plant
foliage and flower colors and the influences of seasonal
change, you can have a nearly limitless range of
opportunities for the use of multi-seasonal color in your
Xeriscape garden. |
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