Summer Colour

The Pantone Institute has recognised that we all have a greater desire to be surrounded by living things. Whether personally decorating our homes with a love of house plants (still a big trend) or in commercial spaces adding living walls in office atriums. Being surrounded by plants, inside or out, having a space that we feel is restorative is still as important as it was in 2020. Something that they feel Vivid Magenta embodies.

Sanguisorba officinalis

Summer is the main season that we enjoy sitting outside, that first coffee of the day before we get going or on a balmy summer’s evening after a long day at work. Vivid Magenta is found in abundance in the garden in summer. It can be added as a highlight colour, burnet (Sanguisorba) has compact flowers that add small dots of colour along a border. Starting at the front of the border Sanguisorba ‘Tanna’ is a shorter variety (only growing to 50cm high), moving on to the taller Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Red Thunder’ for the middle or back of a border. Martin’s Mulberry is a really tall variety for the back of the border and flowers from September on until November perfect for filling gaps as the rest of the garden starts to die back. Or perhaps Persicaria, now known as Bistorta, a slightly larger flower but still small enough to give hints of colour, Bistorta amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ or Blackfield.

Bistorta amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’

In drier areas sedums attract the bees in their droves, Hylotelephium ‘Ruby Glow’ or Sedum telephium ‘Karfunkelstein’. As shorter varieties these would suit a gravel garden or planted up in a pot, an easy way to get enough drainage for sedums and add them to your garden if you have heavy clay soil.

Dahlia ‘Downham Royal’

As summer continues on dahlias start coming into their own, a riot of colour of the garden but a superb cut flower too. There are many varieties in shades of Vivid Magenta, from the pompoms of Dahlia ‘Downham Royal’ or Gypsy Night. The spikey petals of Ambition or the blousy blooms of Ripples, it wouldn’t take many of these to fill a vase .

Shrubs to take you into Autumn and beyond

Many roses flower all summer long until the first frosts in autumn and come in a vast array colours including magenta. I have the old rose, Rosa ‘Souvenir du Dr Jamain’ trained along the fence for its velvety petals and stunning fragrance. Other old rose varieties in shades of magenta include Nuits de Young or the repeat flowering Baron Girod De L’ain. In shrub roses Charles de Mills or the repeat flowering Thomas á Becket. There a many beautiful pink-red roses.

Euonymus in all its autumn glory

In autumn eunonymus have vivid pink-red (magenta) leaves that light up the garden. Whether out in the garden or looking out from the kitchen window your eye will be drawn towards them. Eunonymus europeaus (the Spindle tree) can be grown as a tree, creating a stunning focal point. With its vibrant leaves in autumn followed by the magenta and orange seed heads that follow on. Or as part of a mixed native hedge to encourage the wildlife. Eunonymus alatus is a smaller more compact variety, easier to find a space to squeeze it into the garden or in a planter.

Magenta coloured cornus standing out in the snow

As cornus (dogwoods) start to loose their leaves and bare their winter stems, the vibrant colours come to the fore. Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ has the perfect Vivid Magenta stems (over summer it has variegated leaves and tiny white flowers). Both Sibirica and Miracle have paler stems but will still add stunning winter colour to the garden, particularly when planted in groups of three or more. They won’t mind either if you want to cut a stem or two off to enjoy as part of a flower arrangement indoors.

Blending Vivid Magenta into your garden

If you would like more help in establishing a colourful garden or border, I offer a planting plan service.

About the author

Camilla Grayley is an experienced garden designer, speaker and writer based in York. She designs gardens and delivers garden consultancy services for clients in Yorkshire and across the UK.

Get in touch on 01904 670330 or info@camillagrayleydesign.com