Fall Colors

Fall is a good time to learn about color, and nature is a good teacher.  Flower and foliage hues generally become muted.  These calmer colors work well together; put a bright, summery color into a fall landscape and the effect is shockingly discordant.

Something else is going on as well.  There is a common thread that pulls these colosr together.

 
This collection of hydrangeas, russian sage and boltonia are all linked by gray.  The leaves and stems of the russian sage and boltonia are gray-green.  The blooms of the hydrangea are fading to gray-green and gray-violet.  Contrast these flowers with the same hydrangeas mid-summer;  there the flowers are clear blue and violet-magenta. 

A rule I learned in a color class is to find the dominant color, then make sure that there are aspects of that color in every other hue in the composition.

In a garden, find the dominant hue or "feel" of a color.  During springtime, pastels dominate.  In summer, bright, clear colors rule.  Fall is the time for muted, grayed colors.  Winter is influenced by whites and blues.

There are exceptions.  Deciduous trees, especially maples, glow with reds, yellows, and oranges.  The leaves soon fade to muted browns, ochres, and umbers.

You can use this information to put together an outfit, decorate a room, paint a picture, and of course, design a garden.