GARDENING : Got Something to Hide? Plant Yellow Flowers

If there is something in your landscape that you don’t want people to look at, plant bright-yellow flowers opposite, advises the National Garden Bureau.

While masses of red or yellow flowers are the best choice for areas you want noticed--because people see those colors faster than others--try yellow to draw attention away.

“Ideally they will look at the yellow flowers and turn their backs on whatever eyesore it is you want to hide,” the bureau says in a report on how colors can be used to change perspective in a garden.

“One color expert has said that a house will even sell faster if it has yellow trim or has borders of yellow flowers out in front.”

Colors of flowers and plants can also be used to create a mood and shorten or lengthen the look of a landscape.

Blue is perceived as cool and calming. Blue tones also help widen or lengthen the look of a garden because blue recedes from sight.

“Lots of blue flowers and blue-toned foliage planted on the long sides of a long and narrow garden will actually seem to make it wider because the blue falls back visually,” the bureau reports.

Bright red flowers at the far end help provide much the same widening impression, because red advances visually and the end will appear closer.

Pink is perceived as sweet tasting and fragrant and “people usually try to smell pink flowers even when they don’t have any fragrance.” Pink also seems to be soothing and calming.

“One researcher has said that people are less likely to argue with someone who is wearing pink, so lots of pink plants around your outdoor patio could contribute to amiable conversation when you entertain,” advises the bureau.

Beds and borders of white flowers provide the well-planned, orderly look, “but masses of white can be hard on the eyes, so you may want to include areas of other colors as well.”

Because white is the last color to fade from sight as darkness falls, it is a good choice for bordering pathways. Blue is the first color to fade from sight at dusk.

Green is an excellent complement to white, something to consider in areas where plants are chosen more for foliage than flowers.

“If you want to excite people, put lots of red around. Experiments have shown that food tastes better around red, so red flowers around your outdoor eating area will stimulate conversation and make the food taste better too.”

What if you like lots of different colors?

“Mixes of bright colors give a happy, festive look to an area . . . but just be careful not to overdo it. Too much mixing can look more disorganized than festive, so using three or four colors over and over can help tie the look together.”

The bureau, founded 73 years ago, describes itself as a nonprofit educational service dedicated to providing accurate information on gardening with seeds. Most of the major retail and wholesale seed companies are members.

If you’ve ever wondered why partners often seem to disagree on what color to select, the bureau suggests:

“Men tend to favor yellow-based reds (like scarlet) while women tend to favor blue-based reds (like burgundy). If you and your spouse don’t agree on what ‘red’ to plant, this could be why.”