Hey, I did okay, but I am here to say that if I had just paid a little attention to some of the basics of garden design--I would have saved myself a lot of time and money along the way.

Like many gardeners my first mistake was thinking "the more the merrier" when choosing perennials for my garden.  In my enthusiasm to try many different plants, I wound up with a very busy patchwork effect in my garden.  I've since learned to use one color repetitively throughout my plantings so the eye is drawn from one end of the garden to the other.

            The best way to do this is to plant in drifts of at least three of each flower.  For example, one of my favorite flowers is the yellow-gold Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' so I have used it in large swaths throughout my garden with other yellows such as Yarrow 'Coronation Gold' and Coreopsis 'Moonbeam'.

            Because color is so important, your new garden design should start with a color scheme. This is not as intimidating as it sounds. All you need to find a scheme you like is a color wheel just like the one we all learned in elementary school (remember Roy G. Biv?). 

Let's try a complementary color scheme first.  Say you pick yellow--directly across the color wheel is purple its complementary color.  In my opinion, this is one of the best pairings you can have in the garden.  First, because yellow and purple are found in many of the finest annuals and perennials and second, each color seems to make the other look just that much better.

 You can also use a split-complementary harmony, which is a bit like cheating.  Rather then going directly across the color wheel from a primary color, you choose one of the colors to the left or right of the one opposite.  If you have a bright red monarda, instead of being restricted to only green you have the option of using either a blue or a yellow flower.

             The second color harmony is an analogous harmony.  In this color scheme, you would choose two colors next to each other on the wheel.  Complementary color pairings can be a little brash; with an analogous color scheme, you will not have such a noticeable contrast because these colors are much closer in temperature.  Blues and violets are cool, yellows and oranges warm and by using an analogous scheme, you create a more soothing combination.

            The hot orange of asclepias (butterfly weed) leaps out at you when used in a complementary pairing with the deep blue of 'Sunny Border Blue' veronica.  Pair it instead with the warm yellow of coreopsis and it recedes, becoming part of the whole garden picture.

            The last color harmony is the monochromatic. Monochromatic borders, especially those in cooler colors, make a small garden seem larger because the eye is not interrupted by other conflicting colors. This doesn't mean that your garden has to be all the same color choice.  If you choose to plant in a monochromatic scheme you can use the main color as well as all its close hues, for example, a red garden could also include pink, and maroon. 

            So where does white come in?  White serves as a buffer between colors that might ordinarily not coexist peacefully.  It blends especially well with tints which are mixtures of white and another color (pink for example). 

            As an accent, white has a brightening effect and is a good choice for the shade garden where it will light up a dark corner which otherwise might go unnoticed.   

Whichever colors or harmony you decide to use for your new garden, don't feel that you have to be restricted to only plants in those shades.  Even the great garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll, pointed out the dangers of  "clinging too closely to a theme."  So, if you see a new flower that you absolutely love, harmony or no harmony--buy it!  On the other hand, if you just like planting what you want--where you want--that's okay too.  After all, it is your garden, so plant what makes you happy!