grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends The Colour Guide Mini Series #2: Understanding colour theory - Episode 262
Feb 19, 2026
A tour of Sarah Raven’s four core garden colour palettes and where each creates its best mood. Tips on treating views as separate visual fields to avoid chaos. Practical ideas for using bridge plants and universal greens to link neighbouring palettes. Guidance on handling tricky colours like yellow, orange and scarlet so they sit happily in a scheme.
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Palette System Over Colour Wheel
- Sarah Raven's colour system prioritises atmosphere over the one-dimensional colour wheel.
- She groups plants into four palettes to create distinct moods rather than strict colour theory rules.
Limit Luminous To 2–3 Colours
- Use only two, maximum three colours from the Luminous palette within one visual field.
- Avoid combining the whole Luminous palette in one area to prevent a manic, primary-school effect.
Velvet Creates A Sumptuous Haven
- The Velvet palette creates a warm, enclosed, comforting atmosphere.
- Sarah Raven uses crimsons, carmins, bronzes and browns to build a sumptuous 'haven' feeling.