using silver greys

Using silver grey colour shemes to enhance Italian gardens

Italian gardens are generally characterised by the emphasis upon strong evergreen structure but that in itself does not create that ‘Mediterranean garden’ effect when making a garden in Italy.The Mediterranean garden feel can be represented by using the addition of plants with silver-grey foliage, such as lavender, sage or artemesia. These plants, along with many other Mediterranean plants, have evolved wonderful silver grey foliage in order to assist them with resisting the hot sun of the Mediterranean region. Often the leaves of Mediterranean plants also have a covering of fine hairs that reduce water loss and insulate the plant by trapping a layer of still air around the leaf’s surface.Plants with silver grey foliage also reflect sunshine and, when used in an Italian-style planting scheme, can create a shimmering, almost metallic feel that is so typical of Mediterranean plantings. This effect can have a harmonising effect on other colours, particularly the pastel colours within an Italian planting scheme. Colours, such as soft pinks, light blues and mauves can really come alive and the addition of silver-greys can harmonise and bind these soft colours together, whereas they tend to be lost in planting schemes rich in hot colours.Hot colours are affected differently by the addition of silver-greys and some care must be taken when combing reds, oranges and yellows with plants with silver-grey foliage. The silver-greys tend to launch these colours (especially reds) and their power is intensified to such an extent that they can disturb an otherwise tranquil planting scheme. This effect can be utilised by the garden designer to seemingly lengthen a short path by placing reds upon silver-greys at the beginning of the path and by adding soft blues on silver greys at the far end. This trick can be used to the contrary by placing red flowers against silver foliage at the end of a long winding path and by placing a plant like lavender at the beginning and this will seemingly shorten an otherwise long and laborious path.There are many silver-grey plants to choose from and a professional garden designer in Italy can assist you with overcoming many problems when designing an Italian garden.

CONTACT JONATHAN RADFORD HERE