Flower Pictures

Yellow flowers bring cheer to a yard. I love the possibilities for color combinations involving these "little pieces of sunshine": for example, the combo of yellow flowers and plants with dark foliage (see below under "Black Flowers").

When planting flowers, some color schemes work better than others for a particular bed, depending upon what you hope to achieve. Cool colors such as blue (see below under "Blue Flowers") make the most sense in an area where you're looking to induce reflection (e.g., a meditation garden). If, instead, you wish to attract attention to an area (e.g., a walkway that visitors seem to have trouble finding), then red flowers are an excellent choice.

How we use color in a garden can influence our moods when we gaze upon that space in our yards. Blue is considered a "cool color": it relaxes us. Considering how important our yards can be to us as retreats in which to unwind and relax, this fact alone would make blue flowers much sought-after. Of course, our fondness for blue flowers goes beyond their soothing affect. For many of us, blue is simply a favorite color. True blue flowers are also relatively rare; and, as is so often the case in human life, we tend to place higher value on that which is more difficult to find.

Most floral colors do have some sort of fan base. There are gardeners, for example, who love yellows, reds and oranges for their ability to light up an otherwise drab area of the yard with vibrant color. For others, looking for more subdued colors, soft pink or lavender flowers may be favorites.

But purple flowers, along with blue ones (for pictures of blue flowers, see above) seem to be in a league of their own when it comes to eliciting oohs and ahs from gardeners. Remember, purple was traditionally the color of royalty! Purple is also considered one of the cool colors that help relax us. My purple flower pictures will help you choose from among the number of plants that bear blooms of this regal, soothing color.

Orange, along with red and yellow, is considered one of the "warm colors." Flowers in these colors will be the real eye-catchers of the yard. Orange flowers are born attention-grabbers; if you wish to draw visitors into a space, create a focal point by planting orange flowers en masse.

Do green thumbs grow black plants? You bet they do! Many long-time gardeners seek so-called "black" plants for the novelty of it. Others, who love to play with colors to achieve interesting designs, appreciate the exciting contrasts that are possible with black plants. Imagine, for example, a spring planting bed featuring tulip plants with red, yellow and black flowers!

Being of a neutral color, white flowers are useful in landscape design, as they allow for transition between stronger hues. White flowers will combine well with blooms of any other color. And white flowers set off black flowers very nicely, of course. A specialized use for white flowers is to be found in so-called "moon gardens," which are landscapes designed for optimal viewing at night.

You've probably heard the saying, "All that glitters is not gold." It's true: some of it is silver! Just as shrubs like Gold Mops add much to a landscape with their golden foliage, so the smaller plants with silver foliage that I feature in these photos will please the eye month after month.

Plants grown mainly for their foliage are "there for you," whether their leaves be silver, gold, green or variegated. Blooms are often ephemeral, but you can count on foliage plants (some year-round, others for extended periods of time, at least). Think stable, think rock solid, think dependable friend. View these pictures of plants with silver leaves for ideas.

Like "lilac," the word "lavender" doubles as a reference to not only a color, but also a plant. I include photos of both these plants (and many more) in my lavender flower pictures. Of all the plants included in my gallery, the earliest you're likely to see blooming (if you garden in northerly climes) are the crocus, Pasque flower (photo) and creeping phlox.

Browse my pink flower pictures for help with your plant selection. As in the above photo galleries, my examples of plants with pink flowers run the gamut, from taller specimens (trees and shrubs) to shorter (vines) and from perennials to annuals.

Pink flowers can share with red flowers a bit of the latter's "notice me" quality yet often remain more subdued. Not all pinks are created equal. Light pink flowers can approach a whitish color and function as a neutral, in a pinch. Deep pink flowers, meanwhile, attract more attention (planted in masses, they argue their case for focal point status).