Forum home› Garden design
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Yellow flowers in borders a no-no?

mathewdavidbrownmathewdavidbrown Posts: 39
edited October 2021 in Garden design
Hi all. My garden heck of the week:

I've seen it mentioned that yellow flowers are to be avoided in borders. Of course people will tell me to use whatever flowers I like and rules be damned, and trust me, my potentilla 'Golden Punch' aren't going anywhere. I'm just fascinated by design lore and what makes certain gardens look special. Any thoughts on this trope much appreciated. 

Thanks
«134

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited October 2021
    Eh, what? There's nowt wrong with yellow, but possibly it's best if you think about what's next to it.
    For myself, I like yellow with blues and purples but I don't like yellow with pink, red or  orange. But I do like strong magenta pink with red and with deep reddish-oranges. Everyone's taste is different :D .
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    it's YOUR garden. YOU make up the rules. 
    I LOVE yellow flowers
    Devon.
  • CrazybeeladyCrazybeelady Posts: 778
    Sometimes you think you're getting one colour and you get something else anyway! I bought a pink rose that is actually yellow!
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I've long since wanted a border of yellows, blues and whites.
    Devon.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Plant whatever you like. It's your garden. If the colour mix doesn't appeal, you can always change it. I avoid pale lilac colours, that's my choice
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    My best looking border is mostly yellow. I has solidago fireworks, rudbeckia and willow leaf helianthus out at the moment but had cloth of gold achillea (about 20 plants) and various sunflower varieties at their best a few weeks ago.
    Now it might not appeal to garden designers but then most of their designs don't appeal to me much.   
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    You can have yellow in your borders every month, if you like it, as the following GW article details: Plants with Yellow Flowers - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine (gardenersworld.com).  As others have said, it's really down to personal taste.  For me, it's the colour of Spring, with daffodils providing much needed cheer after winter.  Then, it's no more yellow in my borders until late summer/early autumn, when rudbeckias provide the same cheery yellow as daffodils. This is the only yellow I like - I have no time for pale yellows and I really dislike that electric yellow seen in those mini dahlias bred for containers which shout far too loudly! 
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • mathewdavidbrownmathewdavidbrown Posts: 39
    edited October 2021
    My yellow potentilla look great surrounded by burgundy and magenta, and as I've said, they're staying in my borders. I'm just investigating a mantra I hear bandied about that yellow doesn't work in mixed borders. I'm fascinated by design principles, that's all. Some have merit, some don't.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I think what can cause difficulty is that some gardeners do not differentiate between a warm yellow and a cool yellow ... they can have different effects on the colours around them.   

    Folk seem to 'get' the difference between warm blues and cool blues, and the same with pinks ... but it seems that many gardeners just see 'yellow' as yellow.

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Sign In or Register to comment.