The world is filled with color. Every one of those colors makes us feel certain emotions and can even recall memories of past experiences. For example, what do you think of when you see the color blue? According to color theory, blue evokes feelings of calm, serenity, relaxation. It also instills a sense of loyalty and responsibility. All of those are pretty lovely emotions that one might want to translate into an outdoor space. So, whether you’re looking to create a new garden or revamp an old one, designing around the color blue can provide you with a great starting point.
If you’re looking to design with blue, you’re in luck! Few things can top a blue hydrangea, especially those gorgeous nantucket blue blooms on The Original Endless Summer® Hydrangea or electric blue blooms on Pop Star® Hydrangea! It’s important to remember that depending on the pH and presence of aluminum in your soil, your hydrangea blooms can be different colors. Generally, if you want to have blue hydrangea blooms, you will need to have acidic soil or a soil pH below 6.0. If you’re unsure what that all means, and no worries if you don’t, watch our Hydrangea Soil Science video for details on changing bloom colors. Hint: the whole video is excellent, but Ryan dives into the specifics starting at the 2:37 minute mark.
Every gorgeous garden has one thing in common: thoughtful plant pairings. And when designing a garden around color, those plant pairings become even more critical. The first easy step is to pick plants that complement the blue blooms. Going back to a bit of color theory, blue is one of the three traditional primary colors. When using a color wheel, we know that the complementary color to blue is orange, secondary colors are yellows and reds, and analogous (or similar) colors are greens and purples. Those colors offer a starting point when choosing effective plant pairings.
We love this container with The Original and Blushing Bride Hydrangeas. The hydrangeas look wildly gorgeous when placed next to the yellow flowers of a hypericum. Check out the hypericum collection from our friends at First Editions® Shrubs & Trees, to achieve this pairing at home.
If you want to have a deeper blue, try Twist-n-Shout® Hydrangea. The lacecap blooms, when paired with orange, like these orange daylilies, make for a dramatic view in the landscape. Add in a plant that has deep-colored leaves for even more drama. Try planting Fireside™ Ninebark from our friends at First Editions Shrubs & Trees to get that exciting pop of dark leaves.
If you’re so in love with blue that you can’t get enough, there’s a certain garden design technique that’s made for you. It’s called mass planting. Mass planting is when you plant multiple plants of a single variety in one space like seen above with multiple of The Original Hydrangea planted to form an absolutely stunning hedge. When executed like above, using a single color can make a significant impact in your space. As an added benefit, this technique is excellent for those searching for low-maintenance design options because when you only have one variety planted in an area, you only have to keep track of what one plant needs to thrive.
While not mass planting, you can also create a significant impact with a mass of color by planting different hues of blue together. The example above shows how The Original looks when planted with lobelia in a blue container. This use of multiple shades of blue can be easily translated into the landscape. A great tip for doing this in the landscape is to plant the two different blues next to a “neutral” tone that looks great with both. That can be a plant with leaves that are green, silver, or any other garden neutral. Remember to use the color wheel if you need inspiration on color pairings.
When you have a space where a big swath of color either don’t make sense or doesn’t fit the space, you’re not out of options. This is when you can use pops of blue in your decorative containers. And, you’re in luck because all of the hydrangeas in the Endless Summer® collection look fantastic in containers! So, place these decorative containers on your deck, like seen in the image above, patios, entryways, or even right in the middle of your garden for some fantastic pops of blue!
So, whether you use blue all over the garden or in strategic pops, the color offers tons of opportunities to create that serene garden of your dreams. Just think of those summer nights spent surrounded by blue and you’ll be itching to head to the nearest garden center to pick up some new Endless Summer® Hydrangeas!
