Green, Color of Nature

'Master Color' of Peace and Renewal

We can see more shades of green than any other color.

Green abounds in a garden. It is the pervasive color of Nature and is known as the “master color” of peace and renewal. Green is the most restful color to our eye and is associated with love and beauty. The Roman goddess of love, Venus, is signified by the color, green, as is the heart chakra.  Hindus say that imagining green will allow more emotional balance and empathy to enter your life. Russell Page, the great English landscape designer, used green to describe gardeners as compassionate souls, saying in his book, The Education of a Gardener,

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“Green fingers are the extension of a verdant heart.”

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Green balances and alleviates anxiety. Thus, being in a green space is good for relaxation. In feng shui, green represents revitalization and new beginnings. It is recommended for use in the eastern and southeastern areas of a space. Interestingly, our eyes can discern more shades of green than any other color.

‘Blue and Gold’ Tradescantia - Green balances and alleviates anxiety.

Green is also the hue that has been found to stimulate creativity. Researchers at the University of Munich found that brief exposure to the color, green, appeared to activate inventiveness! Specifically, participants exposed to green outperformed those exposed to white, gray, red, and blue. They found that a glimpse of green instills “the type of pure, open (mental) processing required to do well on creativity tasks.” Therefore, innovative thinking is stimulated by the color green. Wow.

This is probably because we can relax better in a setting filled with green plants, and then our ideas can flow. Knowing this, the next time you want to come up with a great idea, you might take a stroll through a park or spend some time in a garden where green plant textures and forms—rather than myriad colors—predominate. Envelop yourself in nature’s green and think creative thoughts.

Here I have a line of dwarf green boxwood backed by a tree form ‘Limelight’ hydrangea. In the background are two ‘Snow Fountain’ weeping cherries. The planter in the bed adds a bit of color.

Since we see more shades of green than other colors, it lends itself well to ‘layering’ in a garden.  Having at least three different tiers of plants is a beautiful way to contrast the textures, growth habits and greens of various shrubs. This technique adds dimension to any garden and can be done in a wide plant bed to create a dense, privacy buffer.

A symphony of green in one of my landscapes - Tiarella ‘Neon Lights’, hay scented fern, ‘Alice’ oakleaf hydrangeas, witch hazel backdrop. Color and texture layering.

Place the smallest plants in the front row and strategically locate taller plants behind them.  For example, plant low growing azaleas in front of deep green Japanese Hollies with taller ornamental grasses or evergreen arborvitae as a backdrop You can also use this approach in a small patio or balcony garden by stacking pots and planters of various heights on bases of  blocks of wood, brick or plastic milk crates. The plant containers in the lowest tier may be at knee level while the higher ones can be almost at eye level. This visual arrangement allows them to be seen where they can be enjoyed up close.

Green Features in an Artist’s Garden

            The thought of green as an accent color in a garden that is predominantly green may not sound very appealing but Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny challenges this assumption. Monet, the famous 19th century French impressionist painter, created a large garden outside of Paris that is now a renowned horticultural destination.  The restored property consists of Monet’s home, his flower beds and his famous water garden. One interesting aspect of his vibrant landscape is that all the built features — fences, benches, steps, porch, wisteria draped footbridge and even rowboat — are painted an intriguing shade of green! The result is a charming, domestic scene where all seem to sing with color. The Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh created a replica of the Monet bridge with its unique green color - shown below.

The Phipps Conservatory created this replica of a Monet bridge with his selected green color.

So consider creating an outdoor space where green is the star. If you have a shady spot (and deer fence) you can plant a variety of hosta along with Jap[anese Forest grass and mayapples as shown below. My clients created this garden by adding more and more over several years.

A woodland symphony of Green.

I hope this inspires you to add more green where you reside. And thanks for following Gardentopia!