Colour for Adventurous Gardeners

Author of Colour for Adventurous Gardeners, Christopher Lloyd has at his disposal a long lifetime of expertise as a plantsman, an engaging, occasionally acerbic prose style and a beautiful and important garden at Great Dixter in East Sussex. He is also profoundly aware of the importance of tradition in gardening, yet in the way of those who have mastered their difficult craft is able to throw out without a qualm received ideas that have been sanctioned by the practice of generations. The title of Colour for Adventurous Gardeners signals its provocative thesis: that boldness and contrast are as effective in the garden as harmony and theming. "Given the right circumstances", writes Lloyd, "I believe that every colour can be successfully used with any other." Colour in itself is dealt with less frequently than one might expect by other gardening writers, but here Christopher Lloyd explores the subject with great thoroughness. Indeed, he devotes a whole chapter (there are 11 in all) to each of the main garden colours: red, orange, mauve, the many blues, pink, white and (of course) green. He even tackles the more enigmatic and difficult brown and black. Important and significant plants within each are described, with due emphasis given to form, habit and structure. A beautiful colour may be let down by a short flowering season or clumsy shape. Contrasts of hue and texture are everywhere informed by Lloyd's eclectic but impeccable eye and vast knowledge. Jonathan Buckley's beautiful photographs, mostly taken in Lloyd's own garden, are an inspiration in themselves. This really is quite a remarkable and unusual book, though no less than one would expect. --Robin Davidson

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Nothing for blue-lovers - Rated
I bought this book because I had enjoyed Lloyd's "Succession Planting for Adventurous Gardeners". It was a slight disappointment, mainly because Lloyd concentrates on his favourite colours, orange, scarlet, and yellow. Nothing is sayed on blue and only little (but nothing new) on white. Combinations of purple and scarlet, orange and magenta are too shocking for most gardeners.
Pictures are of a very high quality, but some of them have already been published in the "Succession Planting". The missing information on cool colours and combinations is partly compensated by beautiful pictures.

Typical Christopher Lloyd - challenging the perceived wisdom - Rated
I bought this book for my wife for Christmas since she loved Lloyd's book on cottage gardens and I thought this may be similar. I was correct, the photos are stunning and the content challenging and inspiring. It's the sort of book that makes you want to start planting as soon as the season gets underway. Recommended for anyone who feels inhibited by being told by others what to plant and where!

Excellent Inspiration - Rated
Mr Lloyd provides you with idea after idea with this book which will allow you to step into the garden and be bold with all colours

Truly magnificent - a feast for your eyes - Rated
This is the only book on colour in the garden that seems to make any sense. It takes in all aspects of colour and demonstrates quite spectacularly that sometimes nature has a way of proving you wrong on your preset colour notions. It deals not only with colour, but texture, body, transparency and what you can achieve by mixing all these. Indeed it is the first time that I've seen a chapter on black, such a very special colour in the garden. It's the kind of book you look at over and over again and that you are careful about lending - a real treasure.

Wonderfully inspirational planting. - Rated
Christo comes up trumps again with this feast for the eyes. The plants leap from the page, and inspire you to dig your tired plot. Moving with the times, the recent addition of the Tropical area to the garden looks sumptuous. The Octagenarian manages to make colours clash gracefully, without ever looking like a Council planting scheme. If only there were more hours in the day to garden!