Creating a rainbow garden is a stunning way to bring vibrant color and joy to your landscape. This garden style features a spectrum of plants arranged in colorful arches, pathways, shapes, and more, symbolizing happiness, acceptance, health, and positivity. Whether you’re starting a new garden or enhancing an existing space, a rainbow garden can transform any area into a cheerful oasis. Follow these three easy steps to design the rainbow garden of your dreams!
#1. Get Inspired
The first step to designing a rainbow garden is finding your inspiration. Start by exploring online resources like Pinterest, where you can save your favorite garden designs and layouts. Visiting local botanical gardens or nature centers can also provide valuable insights and ideas. Seeing different garden styles and layouts in person can help you refine your vision and determine what elements will work best in your space. Remember, the beauty of a rainbow garden is its diversity—mixing and matching various colors and plant types will create a captivating display.
#2. Sketch Your Layout
With inspiration in hand, it’s time to visualize your rainbow garden layout. Begin by determining the garden’s location and measuring the space. Outline the garden area on paper, including surrounding features like hedges, trees, tables, benches, and walls. Consider creating a colorful pathway or a maze-like arrangement to add a sense of intrigue and flow. To guide your design, use the acronym ROY-G-BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) to represent each color of the rainbow. Sketch each color segment in your garden layout to maintain a balanced and harmonious color distribution.
#3. Choose Your Flowers
Selecting the right flowers is crucial for achieving a cohesive rainbow garden. Keep in mind factors such as growing zones, light requirements, and watering needs. Aim to choose plants that thrive under similar conditions to ensure a healthy and vibrant garden. While you might not be able to use every plant from your inspiration photos, there are thousands of colorful alternatives to choose from. Below are some of our favorite plants for each color:
Our Rainbow Garden Favorites:
- Red: Geum, primrose, geranium, rose, petunia, red coneflower, red bee balm.
- Orange: Chrysanthemum, ‘Caramel’ coral bells, milkweed, red hot poker, poppy, marigold, blanket flower.
- Yellow: Yarrow, milkweed, tickseed, yellow coneflower, false sunflower, ice plant, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia).
- Green: Japanese painted fern, ‘Strictus’ maiden grass, sedum, viburnum.
- Blue: Plumbago, clematis, blue Siberian iris, spike speedwell, bluestar, bugleweed.
- Indigo: Salvia, bluebeard, phlox, cranesbill, pansy, baptisia.
- Violet: Lavender, lupine, bellflower, lilac, allium, cranesbill, phlox, dahlia, hummingbird mint, perennial violet.
The possibilities for a rainbow garden are endless! Not only can you plant perennials, but also vegetables, fruits, and more. Creating a rainbow garden offers an excellent opportunity to involve children in the gardening process, teaching them about nature’s beauty and the importance of cultivating the earth. Invite pollinators and people from all walks of life into the garden to foster a positive, inclusive environment. Your rainbow garden can be planted in a garden bed, in containers, or even on a balcony window. The symbolism of a rainbow garden can follow you almost anywhere, making it a versatile and meaningful addition to any space.
