How To Add Colour To Your Garden This Summer 

Though we may be on the cusp of winter, ice frosting the air in an arctic twirl, now more than ever is the perfect time to get our garden ready for summer, as we spend more time at home. As we navigate the extremeties of the pandemic, our minds turn to the future, planning ahead for 2021 and what will hopefully be a better year , as you learn how to add colour to your garden this summer, to boost positivity and morale.

We picture our garden as a safe haven where we can be free to explore, to create and to think outside the box without limitations. Surrounded by nature, we feel blessed, breathing in the crisp fresh air, while stopping to say hello to the cornflowers, roses and colour loving flowers that bloom in summer. The bees suckle gently, pregnant with anticipation, as you tend to your flowerbeds with optimum care.

It’s hard to know what next summer might bring, and whether we will be spending more time at home, but with the current travel restrictions, many of us are planning to go on staycations. So what better staycation, than a staycation at home, where you can turn your garden into a summer wonderland, that is inviting for socially distanced garden parties that follow all government guidelines?

After all, knowing how to add colour to your garden this summer will turn your home into a gorgeous retreat where guests can feel happiness at home. Your garden will come to life when you put your personal stamp on its design and colour scheme, and will allow your garden to have a bit of personality that makes it stand out from the crowd. From choosing eyecatching garden furniture to adding quirky accessories that will make your garden pop, learn how to add colour to your garden this summer the easy way.

Choose Eyecatching Garden Furniture To Give Your Garden Pizazz 

One of the easiest ways to get your colourful garden ready for summer is to invest in gorgeous and eyecatching garden furniture that will make your garden stand out. Whether you want to add minimal pops of colour, want contrasting furniture that will ground your otherwise colourful garden or want to turn it into a full colour lovers haven, I have got your back. First of all, what’s your ‘colour style’?

For example let’s say that you are a minimalist who is teetering into colourful territory, but is unsure of how to keep faithful to both worlds. If this is you, then choose rattan furniture, which is white, bright and will contrast against the ‘colourful accessories’ that you will choose to accentuate your garden with. By doing this, you are able to make your garden minimalist, with beautiful garden furniture that stands out.

A great minimalist garden furniture brand, that will whet any minimalist’s appetite is Skyline Design. With more than 32 years of experience, Skyline make beautiful natural rattan, including all year round weather wicker furniture that will transport you into the tropics. So if you are a minimalist with a rebel colour streak, then why not add beautiful luxury garden furniture, whether that be gorgeous daybeds that make you feel like you are vacationing at the beach, paired with nautical accents or spa chairs, to create a vibrant spa day at home.

If you are a full on colour lover like me, colourful gardens allow you to get in touch with your creative side. You might choose to paint garden furniture yourself in a bright block colour like teal, or choose a contrasting colour scheme where you pair serenity and rose quartz together circa Pantone’s colour of the year in 2016. If you are feeling truly wild, you could paint your furniture in a riot of rainbow colour.

It’s not just about painting either, coloured fabrics can be used to add colour to your garden this summer without faff. You might choose a ‘tropical print’ for 2021 and then switch out the fabric for a block colour for the following year to add variety to your garden aesthetic. Whether you choose a bold, pastel, bright, printed or colour-contrasting colour scheme for your garden furniture, the sky is the limit.

Create A Colour Blocking Scheme That Will Give Your Garden Character 

Speaking of which, a colour blocking scheme is a great way to give your overall garden character, and not just through the garden furniture that you choose. For example colour and design expert Emily Simpson says that ‘colour blocking is a great way to get creative’ in the garden and I couldn’t agree more. But how do you decide on a theme? Well first of all pinpoint the vibe that you are trying to give to your garden.

If you are looking to curate a garden that is vibrant, fresh and bold, then pairing a sunshine yellow with a cobalt blue is a great way to add colour to your garden in an unexpected way. Instead of pairing blue with green or yellow with orange, you have taken two colours that are on the complete opposite end of the colour spectrum, and is an unusual but effective colour combination that radiates summer.

After all, cobalt blue is a cool colour, which has a connection to nature, sky and water. It radiates peace and tranquility and yet it also is a rich colour that is grounded in calmness. Sunshine yellow on the other hand is a bright colour, that like the name suggests is the colour of sunshine, evoking happiness, joy and unbridled energy. By combining a ‘cool’ and a ‘bright colour’ you created a balanced colour scheme.

If your vibe is serenity, you love the beach and adore vacations on tropical islands, then a nautical colour blocking scheme of coastal blue and white will help give your garden character. The key is to keep your garden simple, because a nautical colour scheme is quite minimalist in its design. As colour sets the mood, think about what you can to turn your garden into a peaceful garden retreat. Pinpoint what you love about the beach. For example, do you love Brighton with its striped deckchairs and it’s parasol umbrellas? Then make this a focus in your garden.

By choosing a focal design element like the striped deckchairs, you can create your garden around this. You might pair the striped deckchairs, with a small ‘sandy dune’ beach area (if you have enough space)  to bring the beach to your backyard. You might also choose ‘traditional beach elements’ like rocks and seashells, whether that be scattering them in the flowerbeds or sand areas, using them in ‘lighting’ design or choosing quirky nautical accessories to bring your beach theme to life. The key is to choose a colour scheme that works for you.

Add Quirky Accessories Like A Colourful Bird House That Will Make Your Garden Pop 

Speaking of quirky accessories, there is no better way to add colour to your garden this summer, than with some focal colour accents that will make your backyard pop. Whether you are a bird lover, and want to jazz up your birdhouse by painting it bright blue, have imagined yourself as being part-mermaid, and part unicorn and want accessories to reflect this or want a quaint English garden circa Alice in Wonderland, the choices are endless. Remember, despite what interior experts may say is ‘hot or not’ your garden should be a reflection of your personality.

So let’s say that you are a colourful mermaid like myself. You might choose ‘mermaid themed’ garden accessories like a ‘mermaid beach terranium kit’ , create a mini mermaid garden inside a fishbowl, or even create a ‘mermaid themed’ treasure chest, with a mermaid guarding the loot inside. Your creativity knows no bounds so let your imagination run wild and give your garden the makeover it deserves.

You don’t always need a theme to introduce quirky accessories into your garden, but it certainly helps give your garden a clear vision that is instantly recognizable. Let’s say that your garden theme is a ‘quintessential English garden’. You might choose to build a ‘rose garden’ whether that be a maze, a small flowerbox, or a single bush, and choose accessories around this. This could be adding a vintage vase filled with pink flowers, atop a floral print table, with pastel teapots, or even creating an apple orchard to add colour to your garden this summer.

Adding quirky accessories isn’t just about the theme that you choose, but the colours that you use too. Is your garden super colourful and you want accessories that are less out there, to compliment your backyard? Then focus on super simple yet quirky accessories like a block colour juice jug, and a printed tablecloth, to compliment your garden, as opposed to choosing accessories that clash and look messy.

Plant Flowering Trees That Will Transform Your Garden Into A Colour Haven 

For a simple way to bring colour into your garden, then why not plant flowering trees to add colour the natural way? First of all, find out which trees blossom in the summer for some much needed colour. For example vibrant and colourful trees that bloom in the summer include Jacaranda, with bold and bright purple flowers, framed by unique fern like foilage and Bottlebrush with bright red flowers that are ideal for a tropical themed garden. If you want a flowering tree that is a lot more classic, then magnolias help add brightness to a garden.

Not only does flowering trees add colour to your garden all year round, but it also helps to add shade and texture and breaks up open spaces. It makes your garden look more homely, allows you to be at one with nature, and attracts wildlife like bees and birds who will come in and pay your garden a visit. Even the visitors help add colour and energy to your garden, because of the trees you have planted.

You can also choose trees that have unusual markings or different kinds of bark, to help ground your colourful garden. For example let’s say that your garden is super colourful, with all the colours of the rainbow. A birch tree , with its sparkling white bark is the ideal contrast against a colourful backdrop and helps break up the colour. Other birch trees can be found in shades of pink, mahoghany and creamy gold.

Build A Trellis For A Vertical Splash Of Colour In Your Garden

Last but not least, is a trellis to add a vertical pop of colour into your envy-inducing garden. Not only is a custom trellis a great way to show your personality and add interest to your garden, but it also allows you to create some privacy, which is much needed. It helps you break up the space in your garden and creates a cool sequence of lines in your garden that is aesthetically pleasing.

There are a number of ways to add colour when building a trellis in your garden. For example, the simplest way is by painting the wood in a bright colour, whether that be a sparkling white or a rusty red, and then adding a creeping plant that would grow upwards. Plants that work well on trellises and are also colourful include vine tomatoes, climbing hydrangea, green beans and cucumber and sweet peas.

For an alternative way to add colour to your trellis, instead of making the colour of trellis the focal point, why not cover the trellis entirely in shrubbery? You can use a beautiful green plant like Ivy to cover your trellis, especially as it is a symbol of eternity, perrenial life and strong attachment. If you are living with your partner this trellis can represent your relationship and undying love to each other.

What Are Your Tips For Adding Colour To Your Garden This Summer?

*Disclaimer

Please note this is a collaborative post with Skyline Design, but all thoughts are my own and are not affected by monetary compensation.