The Power of Pink in Garden Design

pink in the garden
Clematis 'Dr. Ruppel'

I’ve wanted to write about the power of pink in garden design for a long time, as it seems to be a fairly polarizing color among gardeners.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?  But as a designer and public speaker, I talk to literally hundreds of gardeners a year, and very often, gardeners will tell me they’re not a fan of pink. 

My guess is that the reason it’s so divisive is due to the vast range of pinks within the color family. 

 

pink
Magnolia blossoms

On one end of the spectrum is the softest, palest pink (the least offensive), and on the other is the blindingly hot bubblegum pink (the most egregious color to gardeners who poo-poo pink.)

But here’s where things take a turn for poor pink.  In my experience, the  #1 divisive color is orange (definitely NOT me – I love it.  Click here for proof!) 

 

pink
Spirea 'Double-Play Red' (which isn't really red, but HOT pink)

 

However, for those who hate the color orange (or any other color that might cause offense), it’s simple enough to keep it out of their garden.

But it’s not so easy with pink. 

As hard as pink haters try, the color invariably ends up in their gardens because so many plants have gorgeous flowers in various shades of pink.

pink flowers
Callistemon 'Neon Pink" (somehow two of these shrubs jumped into my cart)

My theory is this – we’re at the nursery, forgetting the fact that we don’t like pink, and BAM, there’s a new variety of fill-in-the-blank that ends up jumping into our carts. 

It happens to us all.

And that’s okay!  It’s okay if you don’t like a certain color, you’ll get no judging from me.  

However, keep an open mind because there are so many shades of pink out there that you just might change your tune – especially when I share a few different ways to incorporate pink in the garden.

 

 

1.  Combining Pink w/Cool Colors (gray, green, blue & purple)

Surrounding pinks with cool colors from the color wheel can help tone down the intensity of the pink while also highlighting any subtle blue undertones that may be present (which is often the case with pink flowers.)

When surrounded by cooler tones, pink blooms stand out while still remaining somewhat calm and lush.

refrigerate peony buds
Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt' click the photo for more about peonies

I especially love how pairing pale pinks with gray foliage results in a very soft and romantic combination.

pink in the garden
Dianthus 'Georgia Peach' w/Senecio 'Angel Wings'
window box design
Ptilotus 'Joey'
pink
Celiosa 'Intenz' (definitely intense!) with echeveria imbricata

Even the brighter pinks are toned down just a bit when surrounded by gray foliage.

Dianthus 'Tiny Rubies' with Blue Oat Grass
Sanguisorba 'Lilac Squirel' from the Tanner's Garden

Can you see how blue tones are pulled out of the pink colors, thanks to the surrounding greens, purples and blues?

pink in the garden
Teucrium betonicum and Lavender 'Hidcote'
heat loving deer resistant perennials
The giant pink blooms of Hibiscus 'Perfect Storm' are stunning with its dark maroon foliage. The cool tones of the blue Stokesia flowers make it appear extra lush, too.
pink flowers
The cool purple gate cools down the Trachelospermum jasminoides blooms (pink jasmine)
Vibrant pink blooms of the calendrinia spectabilus with blue salvia clevelandii

2.  Combining Pink w/Warm Colors (maroon, orange & yellow)

Surrounding pink blooms with warm colors (the upper half of the color wheel, left) creates a rich and vibrant garden palette. Maroon (or burgundy) is one of my favorite colors to use with pink, adding visual depth and contrast.   Combining pink with fiery oranges and golden yellows resemble a sunset’s glow.

vibrant pink in the garden
Primula japonica and Rodgersia podophylla 'Tien Tsin Red'
pink and orange
Peony ‘Felix Crousse’ and orange lilies
pink
Hot pink blooms of the Spanish Shawl (centrandenia floribunda) and apricot roses of 'Lady of Shalott'
pink in the garden
Ptilotus 'Joey' with red Gomphrena flowers
pink and red
Hibiscus 'Perfect Storm' with red blooms of Lagerstroemia Black Diamond 'Best Red'
pink
I love how the species tulip 'Lilac Wonder' has both pink and warm yellow in the petals
pink color echoes
Blinding arctotis 'Pink Sugar' (talk about a sunset with orange a pink petals!) and linaria spotted at Curious Flora
Pink roses with coral spirals of digiplexus flowers
pink and orange
Erica darleyensis 'Furzey' with pink and soft orange flowers

3.  Incorporating Pink Color Echoes as another way to help the colors blend with your garden

designing with ball-shaped flowers
'Felix Crousse' and 'Sarah Bernhardt' peonies echo the neighboring spirea 'Magic Carpet'
Pink flowering lampranthus echoes the pink spirea and maroon euphorbia 'Blackbird'
Rosa 'Spring Song' and weigela 'French Lace'
pink
It's been so hard for me to incorporate this Byzantine gladiola into my garden, but using nearby pink and red echoes seems to help a bit
pink flowers
Get your sunglasses! Byzantine gladiola
soft pink flowers
Rosy blooms from the towering Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway' and pink guara blooms
pink
Color echoes from the pink roses and soft pinks of the stachys flowers

4.  And now for some of my favorite sources of pink in the garden – from flowers, foliage, stems, and berries.

pink foliage
Pink variegated caladium 'Candyland' (click photo for more about caladiums)
pink stems
Touches of pink on the stems of begonia grandis 'Alba'
pink variegation
Loropetalum 'Jazz Hands' and its stunning pink variegated foliage
pink flowers
Loropetalum rubrum's explosion of pink
pink berries
Late fall berries of Symphoricarpos 'Proud Berry'
pink flowers and maroon foliage
Hydrangea serrata 'Pink Dynamo' with dark maroon foliage
pink blooms
Cosmos 'Cupcakes Blush'
pink in the garden
Ceanothus 'Marie Simon'
pink
Spirea 'Double Play Red' (which is more pink than red!)
Pulmonaria 'Raspberry Splash'
pink herbs
Ornamental oregano 'Kent Beauty'
pink
Native geum trifolium
pink grass
Melinus 'Pink Crystals' and red crocosmia 'Lucifer'
pink grass
Soft pink of the calamagrostis 'Overdam'
pink blossoms
Peppermint Flowering Peach Tree
pink
Peppermint Flowering Peach Tree
pink blooms
Native ribes 'King Edward'
pink
close-up of 'King Edward' flowers
Ribes 'Claremont' with softer pink blooms
pink blooms
Camellia 'Pearl Maxwell' and 'Lady Vansittart' (click on pic for a link to my favorite camellias that are blooming away right now!

Phew – what a long post!  Believe it or not, I could probably add another twenty pink plants here, but don’t worry, I won’t!

So tell me – what are your thoughts on pink in the garden?  Do you love it?  Hate it?  Have any favorites?

Enjoyed this article?  Please share it with others: 

Please leave a comment below

8 Comments

  • Thank you Rebecca for the “Pink Flowers” article! The color pink can set a calm tone or an exciting tone for a garden space as you have demonstrated in your inspiring photos.

    Reply
  • Pink is probably my favorite!

    Reply
  • I love pink in the garden! Most of my pink is from peonies and roses, and I’ve added a bunch more bareroot roses this winter (Dee-lish, Big Momma, Amazing Grace and Paris de Yves St. Laurent). Thank you for this post. This gives me lots of ideas for adding additional plants to complement my existing garden. I think my climate in Chico is pretty similar to yours.

    Reply
    • Hi Patty – wow, I had to look up some of those roses you bought and they’re gorgeous! Yes, I think Chico and Granite Bay both have ridiculously hot summers so if a plant grows in my garden, it’ll grow in yours! Happy Gardening!

      Reply
  • Great job as always, Rebecca. Thanks for all the great examples.

    Reply
    • Thanks, Barbara, I appreciate it! 🙂

      Reply
  • I absolutely love pink of all shades in the garden. Your article was fabulous. I will try and delay the opening of some of my peonies this year to be able to enjoy them later on. We moved from our relatively large garden into a smaller house once the family had gone and we have a small garden now with a spectacular view of Howe Sound and the mountains and when the garden wakes up in the spring with bulbs, rhodos two Pink flowering Dogwoods it’s heaven.

    Reply
    • Thank you, Phillippa and WOW – your garden sounds incredible with your view of Howe Sound! I’ve had such amazing luck with refrigerating peonies so yes, you definitely should try it. They lasted for weeks and weeks versus only lasting a few days. Enjoy your spring with all the lovely shades of pink in your garden! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

8 Comments

  • Thank you Rebecca for the “Pink Flowers” article! The color pink can set a calm tone or an exciting tone for a garden space as you have demonstrated in your inspiring photos.

    Reply
  • Pink is probably my favorite!

    Reply
  • I love pink in the garden! Most of my pink is from peonies and roses, and I’ve added a bunch more bareroot roses this winter (Dee-lish, Big Momma, Amazing Grace and Paris de Yves St. Laurent). Thank you for this post. This gives me lots of ideas for adding additional plants to complement my existing garden. I think my climate in Chico is pretty similar to yours.

    Reply
    • Hi Patty – wow, I had to look up some of those roses you bought and they’re gorgeous! Yes, I think Chico and Granite Bay both have ridiculously hot summers so if a plant grows in my garden, it’ll grow in yours! Happy Gardening!

      Reply
  • Great job as always, Rebecca. Thanks for all the great examples.

    Reply
    • Thanks, Barbara, I appreciate it! 🙂

      Reply
  • I absolutely love pink of all shades in the garden. Your article was fabulous. I will try and delay the opening of some of my peonies this year to be able to enjoy them later on. We moved from our relatively large garden into a smaller house once the family had gone and we have a small garden now with a spectacular view of Howe Sound and the mountains and when the garden wakes up in the spring with bulbs, rhodos two Pink flowering Dogwoods it’s heaven.

    Reply
    • Thank you, Phillippa and WOW – your garden sounds incredible with your view of Howe Sound! I’ve had such amazing luck with refrigerating peonies so yes, you definitely should try it. They lasted for weeks and weeks versus only lasting a few days. Enjoy your spring with all the lovely shades of pink in your garden! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

8 Comments

  • Thank you Rebecca for the “Pink Flowers” article! The color pink can set a calm tone or an exciting tone for a garden space as you have demonstrated in your inspiring photos.

    Reply
  • Pink is probably my favorite!

    Reply
  • I love pink in the garden! Most of my pink is from peonies and roses, and I’ve added a bunch more bareroot roses this winter (Dee-lish, Big Momma, Amazing Grace and Paris de Yves St. Laurent). Thank you for this post. This gives me lots of ideas for adding additional plants to complement my existing garden. I think my climate in Chico is pretty similar to yours.

    Reply
    • Hi Patty – wow, I had to look up some of those roses you bought and they’re gorgeous! Yes, I think Chico and Granite Bay both have ridiculously hot summers so if a plant grows in my garden, it’ll grow in yours! Happy Gardening!

      Reply
  • Great job as always, Rebecca. Thanks for all the great examples.

    Reply
    • Thanks, Barbara, I appreciate it! 🙂

      Reply
  • I absolutely love pink of all shades in the garden. Your article was fabulous. I will try and delay the opening of some of my peonies this year to be able to enjoy them later on. We moved from our relatively large garden into a smaller house once the family had gone and we have a small garden now with a spectacular view of Howe Sound and the mountains and when the garden wakes up in the spring with bulbs, rhodos two Pink flowering Dogwoods it’s heaven.

    Reply
    • Thank you, Phillippa and WOW – your garden sounds incredible with your view of Howe Sound! I’ve had such amazing luck with refrigerating peonies so yes, you definitely should try it. They lasted for weeks and weeks versus only lasting a few days. Enjoy your spring with all the lovely shades of pink in your garden! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *