Malcolm Hillier's Color Garden: A Year-Round Guide to Creating Imaginative Color Combinations

Explains color theory and describes how to apply particular seasonal color schemes to gardening

Hillier explains the principles of color theory, advising gardeners to use color in interesting ways to create moods in the garden. He discusses primary colors, harmony, juxtaposition of colors, form, texture, scale, and seasonal light. But his book deals primarily with season-by-season themes, in which he brings together the colors associated with a given season. Hillier shows related flower and foliage swatches in glorious color photographs. He also includes a plant directory divided by the four seasons and by trees, shrubs, and climbers; annuals and biennials; and perennials and bulbs. Each plant in this directory has data on culture, color, flowering time, and soil and sun requirements. George Cohen