Show #24/1211. Gardens in the Town of Vail

How To Use A Color Wheel

COLOR IS IMPORTANT TO TODD, HE FEELS COLOR IS THE KEY. On the steps of the Village Transportation Center Todd shows some of his tricks. Here they have yellow Hemerocallis 'Hyperion' Daylily. It's a classic perennial; and will grow anywhere. Next to it they have a purple Salvia officinalis Salvia. Put those 2 together, yellow and purple are complimentary colors to each other. Even by looking at the color combination one knows it works. But people are often unsure whether their combination really works or not. There is a tool for that and one can pick one up at their local art supply store or at a home improvement store. It's called a color wheel. And, it has 2 sides. The front side is for mixing colors for artists or painters, the flip side shows the compliment to any color on the color wheel. For example, find the yellow of the yellow Daylily on the color wheel, follow the solid line that goes directly underneath and it goes to the violet family of colors, there one finds the deep purple of the purple Salvia. Then there is a diagonal line running off to the side and that is the split complimentary color. What one can do is, for example, start with the yellow, then go to one side or one step each side of purple and then you'll have a 3 way color combination. Todd has done that in this bed with a Penstamen barbatus Penstamen. The red Penstamen with the yellow Daylily and the purple Salvia work well together and attract the eye. In addition they have a little white in this bed. Anytime one introduces the color white is looks good and adds sparkle to a bed. And white in a larger area gives the eye a place to rest. The color wheel is a great tip. Viewers are always asking questions about color combinations - what works and what doesn't - so for several bucks at an art supply store anyone can have a tool that will help with the perfect combinations.