Create Lasting Color In Your Garden

Designing a beautiful flower garden is a lot like conducting a symphony. You mix and match plants just like the notes of a great concerto. There are moments of drama and impact followed by ones of subtle beauty and texture. Strong notes contrast with soft ones. Individual notes seem stark by themselves, but when they come together, they create beauty much greater than any of the parts.

"It really doesn't take a maestro to create lasting color in your garden," says Bayer Advanced™ garden expert Lance Walheim, who wrote the best-selling book "Roses for Dummies." "But there are some tips to make sure your garden looks great throughout the growing season":

1. Establish a color theme and stick to it. This will bring order to what often seems like a chaotic mix of bright colors. Try different flowers in shades of one color or blend complementary colors such as red and violet. For an even stronger impact, mix contrasting colors like yellow and blue or yellow and red. Take clues from the color of your home or hardscape.

2. Use all kinds of plants. Nurseries and garden centers are full of flowering annuals and perennials, but don't overlook flowering shrubs and small trees. Landscape roses in particular can form the blooming backbone of your garden. And don't forget bulbs like tulips and daffodils. Expand the possibilities.

3. Work the seasons. It's easy to plan a spring garden. The bigger challenge is to have great color throughout the growing season. Look for summer- and fall-blooming plants, but don't overlook trees and shrubs with great fall foliage color or brightly colored fruit.

4. Use a touch of white. White flowers make everything else look better, so add a few if you need an extra punch.

5. Throw in some bold foliage. Strong foliage plants, like purple fountain grass, variegated English ivy or dusty miller, contribute texture and make your garden even more striking.

6. Let your garden evolve. Great gardens don't happen overnight. If a particular plant isn't working, take it out and try something new.

After you've done all the work planting and landscaping your new color-themed garden, make sure it stays healthy throughout the growing season. Bayer Advanced™ All-in-One Rose & Flower Care contains an insecticide, fertilizer and fungicide that protect and feed your plants for up to six weeks. And there is no spraying; just mix and pour from a watering can around the base of the plant. It's a great insurance policy for your living work of art.