Tools for testing colour palettes

Sarah recommends practical methods—coloured candles, mood boards and picking flowers—to visualise palettes realistically.

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Episode notes

Colour is best when it’s tangible, and if you’re planning a patch in your garden then this episode of the Mini Series is perfect to help you bring your plans to life.

In this episode of the Colour Guide Mini Series, Sarah dives into the practical side of using colour as the backbone of your garden design - from using candles to visualise colour combinations, to the ‘bride, bridesmaid, gate crasher’ structure that’ll help guide you towards an ensemble that works in harmony.

In this episode, discover:

How to choose a garden colour palette based on the feeling you want to create (washed, velvet, comforting or luminous)
A simple “bride, bridesmaid, gate crasher” recipe for combining plants in harmonious yet lively colour schemes
Practical ways to test and refine palettes using coloured candles, mood boards and real flowers in your hand or in a vase
How to plan colour in succession by breaking the year into seasonal chunks and identifying plants that “carry the baton” across months
Real planting examples and border ideas drawn from Sarah’s own garden, including her vase-to-border comforting palette scheme

Products mentioned:

Nepeta x faassenii 'Kit Kat'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nepeta-x-faassenii-kit-kat

Alchemilla mollis

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/alchemilla-mollis

Clematis viticella 'Etoile Violette'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/clematis-viticella-etoile-violette

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Sonata Carmine'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/cosmos-bipinnatus-sonata-carmine

Salvia viridis 'Blue Monday'

https://www.sarahraven.com/products/salvia-viridis-blue

Dahlia 'Peaches'