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Wake Up Your Garden With Magenta Magnificence
Resplendent and memorable, magenta plantings can invigorate the landscape and compel the eye to linger
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
There are some colors that gardeners tend to abhor. Magenta might top the list. It is garish and ridiculously loud — a showoff. Most gardeners shun the color and reach instead for the palest shades of blush, deep shades of violet and lovely whites that light up the garden at night.
I think we should give magenta another shot, though. Paired with cooler tones, used as a sprinkle or a focal point, magenta can truly become a star instead of a stumbling block in your garden. Let's check out some beautiful gardens with magenta as their showpiece.
I think we should give magenta another shot, though. Paired with cooler tones, used as a sprinkle or a focal point, magenta can truly become a star instead of a stumbling block in your garden. Let's check out some beautiful gardens with magenta as their showpiece.
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| One of my favorite magenta plants is simply named "pinks." Known properly as Dianthus, this classic diminutive plant is a low grower that can light up the edges of pathways and borders. |
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| Magenta is one of those hard-to-pin-down colors somewhere between blue and red, in the purple-pink range. Magenta is the name of a little town in Italy where a battle occurred between European forces. The bloodshed was said to be so ghastly that the fields were stained reddish purple. After the battle a dye was developed in the region, made from coal tar. This dye was named magenta in remembrance of those fields of battle. |
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| Cool blue and gray foliage is a perfect complement for bright and bold magenta, such as in these African daisies. The surrounding foliage tones the color down, cooling its rambunctiousness and offering a background where magenta can shine. |
Pairing magenta with gray foliage along with a pinkish-purple brick is a great way to highlight this trio of well-matched color cousins.
Magenta plays off of bright purple and bright pink very well. A mix of the two hues, magenta can weave in between them and bring them into harmony. Throw in a dash of light blush pink and you have the perfect cottage garden.
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by Cynthia Dodd
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| There are a host of plants that come in magenta, including phlox, roses, peonies, pinks (next photo) and all manner of annuals, such as the classic petunia. |
Used en masse, magenta plantings can shine. Try using a mass of magenta plants in combination with gray fieldstone or siding to liven up the duller tones.
Again, masses of magenta blooms brighten up a walkway with nearly neon pizzazz.
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by Garden Pacific
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| If you aren't the brave sort who imagines masses of magenta flowing throughout the garden, why not try providing a little peek? Set in the background, a shot of magenta draws attention through the seating area to the other side of the porch, extending the square footage visually. |
Whether you are using a bright, hot-pink magenta or a bit deeper purplish tone, magenta truly can shine in your garden. Tone it down, use it as an accent or a focal point, or brighten up a sad-looking space with a little of its cheer.
See more about magenta enchantment
See more about magenta enchantment
Ideabook published on Sept. 5, 2012.
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Thanks for including my photo! The name of the African Daisy is Arctotis acaulis 'Big Magenta' and it's grown by San Marcos Growers - a local Santa Barbara wholesale nursery.