| An Excerpt from Plant Combinations, Volume 2 How to Use Color in the Garden Versatile violet, the coolest and darkest color, offers many options from spring to fall
Although purple is often used as a synonym, we prefer violet, which is how it's described on the color wheel. With a breadth of rich hues that runs the gamut from very nearly navy blue to almost crimson red, this family offers gardeners a generous palette. The diverse members of the violet family go together in perfect harmony and, with one exception, are welcome in any garden. The exception is the potent red-violet, which we call magenta. It is an electrifying hue that lies somewhere between red-violet and violet-red. While it is compatible with cool hues and with members of its own clan, the contrast with colors on the warm side of the spectrum is too powerful for most gardeners. Perennial flowers in all the different tints and shades of violet are abundant from spring through fall.  This is an excerpt from Fine Gardening 's newest special issue, Plant Combinations, Volume 2, which brings you a topic dear to the hearts of most gardeners: color in the garden. Sydney Eddison tackles this topic, simplifying color terminology while teaching us which color combinations work and which should be avoided. Early chapters examine seven colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and white. The second half of the book offers recipes for successful color groupings, all a treat for the eyes!
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