With inspirational planting schemes and plant lists, Lucy Bellamy’s new book ‘Colour in the garden’, provides advice on using colour in containers, tiny back gardens and compact front gardens – aiming to change the way you approach your outdoor space.
“I am hungry for colour. I want hot red and acid yellow, violet blue and caterpillar green. I want cinnamon orange with scorched yellow, liquorice and blackcurrant. I want amethyst, putty and smoky blue, the liminal in-between colours, and sharp lemon with tart pink and purple that is rich and electric. We all know instinctively that colour is good for us and it is colour that draws me out into my garden,” explains Bellamy.
Adding colour to a garden, instantly creates atmosphere and yet whilst many know their preferred colours, and which are to feature in the garden, knowing which plants will achieve this can be more difficult.
Lucy Bellamy is an editor and writer, specialising in gardens and plants. Her previous books include: A Year in Bloom (2024), Brilliant and Wild (2018) and Grow 5 (2022). She is the former editor of Gardens Illustrated magazine and now writes about gardening in the national press.
Jason Ingram is an award-winning garden photographer based in Bristol. He travels widely photographing gardens, food, people, and interiors, alongside working with international garden designers on private commissions. Ingram’s latest book ‘How to photograph gardens: Beautiful images made simple’ will be released in March this year.
Colour in the Garden: Stylish ideas for year-round colour (Octopus Publishing) will be released on the 22nd of May, 2025