Some people believe that only soft colours like dusky or pale pinks, whites and soft blues should be used when creating a cottage garden feel for the garden, but intense colours are incredibly useful and fit well into to these types of schemes.

Soft pale colours give a feeling of serenity and coolness and are also very useful for making the garden feel larger, particularly when placed at the furthest reaches from the house. This is because the eye perceives these types of colours to be distant. The same as the receding colours you see when looking across a mountain range.

Hot intense, colours are perceived by the eye as closer to the viewer because they are bright and not having been subjected to the blueing effect of distance. So, if you want to make an area feel closer to the viewer these colours work well. An added bonus is that hot, intense colours can help to excite the senses and stimulate our appetite, so make use of them near areas where you may eat or entertain. Because the light quality tends to be so much brighter in the summer, the colours appear to have richer, brilliant hues.

We have selected a few of our favourites for you to blend into your existing scheme or maybe a whole new bed or pot display.

Achillea 'Sunbeam', Coreopsis 'Schnittingold' & Hemereocalis 'Irish Elf'

Eryngium x olivierianum 'Big Blue', Iris 'Caesars Brother' & Stokesia laevis 'Mels'

Geum 'Red Wings', Penstemon 'Cherry, & Salvia 'Silke's Dream'

Echinacea 'Sensation Pink, Potentilla 'Ron McBeath' & Dianthus 'Primadonna'

Dahlia 'David Howard', Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora 'Emily McKenzie' & Chrysanthemum 'Dixter Orange'

Even the brightest combinations can look stunning

All of these plants are currently available from the nursery shop. Don't forget to use your discount voucher.