Color Guide: Cool Colors
Cool Colors are purples, pinks, blues, and greens.
They are known to produce a calming effect and are often used to give the illusion of depth. This is particularly helpful for smaller gardens. To give your flower gardens depth, put the darkest color in the back and the lightest in the front. Keep the colors harmoniously working together so that the darkest color in the background gradually blends into the lightest color in the foreground. Try these cool colored annuals, perennials, and bulbs:
Purple is the color of royalty, spirituality, and mystery.
Azure Skies Heliotrope (annual or perennial in zones 7 – 11 and grows 12 - 14” tall in full sun and well-drained soil)
Princess Dark Lavender Verbena (annual and perennial in zones 8 – 11 and grows 4 – 6“ tall in full sun and slightly moist soil)
Little Black Magic Dward Elephant Ear (perennial in zones 8 – 10 and grows 1 – 2‘ tall in full sun/part shade and wet soil)
Pink is the color of tenderness, self-worth, and acceptance.
Plum Mist Cuphea (perennial in zones 7 – 11 and grows 10 – 12’’ tall in full sun and slightly moist soil)
Blue Sea Setcreasea (annual and perennial in zones 7b – 11 and grows 6 – 8” tall in full sun/part shade and well-drained soil)
Vivian Vogue Mandevilla (tropical in zones 9 – 11 and grows 18 – 24” tall in full sun and well-drained soil)
Princess Blush Verbena (perennial in zones 8 – 11 and grows 4 – 6“ tall in full sun and slightly moist soil)
Ellen Bosanquet Crinum (spring planted bulb for zones 7 – 10; grows 12 – 14” tall in full sun/part shade and natural rainfall)
Habranthus Pink Rain Lily (spring planted bulb for zones 6 – 11; grows 8 – 10” tall in full sun/part shade and moist/well-drained soil)
Zephyranthes Pink Rain Lily (spring planted bulb for zones 8 – 10; grows 6” tall in full sun/part shade and natural rainfall)
Blue is the color of loyalty, wisdom, and truth.
Cajun Blue Scaevola (annual and perennial in zones 9 – 11 and grows 8 – 10” tall in full sun and well-drained soil)
Spanish Bluebells (fall planted bulb for zones 6 – 8; grows 24” tall in full sun/part shade and natural rainfall)
Also check out the Southern Living® Plant Collection’s Shrub varieties, to view more colorful blooms.
