Create Drama with Plants

By Justin W. Hancock

Slide 1 of 7

Celebrate Color

Here's a landscaping secret: Use plants in different ways to add interest to your garden. Make them subtle accents to highlight garden structures, such as a pergola; enhance a particular garden style with them; or treat them as bold, dramatic centerpieces by themselves. Here are other tips for adding to your landscape with plants.

Hot colors, such as red, yellow, and orange are very visible from a distance. They stand out best in large groups of color against a green background or walls painted in cool hues. Or use splashes of these hot colors for dramatic accents.

Cool colors, such as pink, lavender, and blue, stand out best when used to create a mass of color. They're great accents for the far end of the yard because they'll seem farther away. This can make your yard feel bigger. Soft, cool tones are also great in shade where they're seen better than more intense, darker colors.