How nearly-black flowers can set the garden alight
I love to use bright shades in my front garden. Sometimes, I even opt for colour clashing, for instance, a vibrant purple juxtaposed with dazzling orange. But sometimes, my mood goes dark (often in the summer months) and I opt for inky, almost-black flowers. Why? Because they make a sophisticated statement, often with textures of rich and expensive fabric.
Take Black Velvet petunias. These have been a revelation. I used to pooh-pooh petunias as a bit naff because my Dad always used to grow the red striped varieties as sticky companions to clumps of blue lobelia, a combination I didn't warm to at all. But black petunias that burgeon and trail are perfect for my window boxes, and passers-by are always keen to know what they are, often not even realising they’re petunias.
If I’m going big and going high, I do love the Nigra hollyhock, which is a deep maroon. If I’m going tiny and low, then Viola Back to Black demands attention, despite its diminutive size. If I fancy a mid-size climber, I’ve grown clematis Romantika with some success. And don’t forget you can have fun with black foliage too – think heuchera Obsidian, which I use with black flowers or as a foil to blingy colours.
Most so-called black flowers aren’t truly black – they are very dark shades of purples or aubergines, the variations in their shades becoming more obvious in the sunlight. But they certainly cast a spell over any display. Keep a watch out at the garden centre and if you see a black flower, snap it up and enjoy its drama.
