Although the key colour trend at Chelsea this year was green, it was closely followed by oranges and blues/purples with many of the perennial favourites in evidence. Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ with its purple stems and purple-blue flowers, the pompoms of alliums, clouds of thalictrums and orange geums. The Wedgewood Garden swathes of apricot toned flowers mixed in with pale pinks, from the tall spires of foxgloves, scented roses and delicate irises. Mixed in with pink peonies, astrantias and Californian poppies (Eschscholzia). Or the Walker’s Forgotten Quarry Garden with shades of oranges, reds and browns to mirror the rust on the metal, including the orange-red Geum ‘Mrs J Bradshaw’ and paler orange of ‘Totally Tangerine’. Mixed in with candelabra primulas along with two coloured brown and yellow irises and all set off by Euphorbia mellifera (the honey spurge) with its bright green leaves and orange flowers.

Geums at the Chelsea Flower Show

Geums were planted in all shades of orange, scattered throughout the show gardens and trade stands from the delicate apricot ‘Mai Tai’ through to ‘Totally Tangerine’ and the deep orange of ‘Prinses Juliana’. To add height to a border there were the spires of Digitalis ‘Goldcrest’ with its apricot flowers on the inside with pink highlights on the outside on the Hardy’s stand and Verbascum ‘Carribean Crush’ on the Montessori garden.

Digitalis ‘Goldcrest’ on the Hardy’s stand

Blues and purples are the perfect complementary colours to apricots, oranges and rust colours, there were plenty of examples of these, perfect for most gardens from the lilac-purple pompoms of alliums to the spires of Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’. The deep purple stems with the purple-blue flowers are still a crowd pleaser, I know I’ve added several clumps to gardens and they still looking stunning year after year.  There were the traditional blue polemoniums along with lilac varieties and camassias, I love these equally mixed into a border or meandering through a patch of long grass. The purple irises really stood on Mr Ishihara’s garden, Green Switch as one small hit of colour amongst the predominantly green acers and moss. Geraniums for me are the flower that keeps on giving with many varieties flowering throughout the summer until the first frosts appear, such as the luminescent blue of Geranium ‘Brookside’ with its white centre. Many of them including ‘Brookside’ are equally at home in the sun or dappled shade, ideal for a border or woodland garden.

Purple irises on the Green Switch Garden

I already have the deep purple of Geranium phaeum ‘Sambor’ with its purple patches on its leaves and the blue of Geranium pratense growing in my garden, along with Polemonium ‘Heaven Scent’ and several Thalictrums (Elin, Black Stockings and delavyi). At the flower show I bought a few plug plants back with me, Verbascum phoeniceum ‘Violetta’ the colour of Ribena and Digitalis ‘Pam’s Choice’, mainly white with purple spots. I will ordering some camassia and irises soon to add to the borders for next year, still trying to narrow the list down, the Cayeaux Irises on display were stunning and I would happily plant most of them.

Geranium ‘Brookside’

I’m now off to carry on planning changes to my garden, if you’d like some help with your planting combinations please feel free to get in touch and I’d be happy to help.