One of the best ways to bring colour to your garden is with coloured garden pavers and retaining walls. Here’s our expert advice!
As any green thumb will tell you, your garden is a blank canvas just waiting to be filled with colour and life. No matter how small or messy your outdoor space may seem – or even how much of a black thumb you might think you are – you’ll be thrilled by how much a garden can transform with just a little bit of love and colour.
How to implement colour in your garden
There are several different ways you can harness colour in your garden. Through your living landscape, such as bright green grass, trees, plants and flowers. Or through your hardscape elements, such as garden pavers, retaining walls, ponds, garden paths and garden edging.
Before you begin, first consider what kind of mood you hope to evoke in your outdoor space. Will it become a fun and lively entertaining space? Or is the dream to create a relaxed, calming oasis you can retreat to at the end of your day?
Different colour palettes can work to create different moods or feelings; for example bright, vivid oranges, reds and yellows can generate a sense of playfulness, while neutrals and pastel colours will evoke a sense of calm.
The style of garden you are trying to create can also have an influence on colour choice. A cottage garden, for example, may be full of muted pinks, mauves and natural hardscaping. On the other hand, a tropical garden may feature an array of vivid reds, oranges and glossy greens.
Garden pavers and retaining walls
Coloured pavers are an excellent way to bring colour and life into your garden. When choosing the right colour garden pavers for your space, start with the colour palette you already chose for your garden feel. Then consider the colour of your house and existing hardscaping.
You could match your new garden pavers and retaining wall to the colour of your exterior house paint by choosing a shade that is within the same tone, rather than exactly the same colour. Using a colour wheel tool online may help you select a similar shade that will work in harmony. Alternatively, you could select a colour on the opposite side of the wheel to create an interesting contrast.
Either way you’ll want to choose a complementary colour palette that will enhance the look and feel of what already exists on your site. This will help to create a cohesiveness that will link the buildings and garden.
If you’re putting in both garden pavers and retaining walls, you don’t have to use the same colour materials. Choosing colours in the same family can help create points of visual interest in your garden. If you have a large space to cover, you can also break it up by creating a border or accent in your garden pavers or wall.
At Rock n Soil we have a fantastic range of garden pavers and retaining wall products to choose from. These range from Sandstone Organic Pavers and Adbri Pavers in neutral shades such as Charcoal, Sunstone and Oatmeal, to Adbri Natural Impressions Flagstone Retaining Wall Blocks in Bluestone, Ironstone and Sandstone. We also have Gardenwall Standard Retaining Wall Blocks in Light Sands, Charcoal and Beach. Lots of colours to suit any garden palette!
Landscaping and foliage
The soft, landscape elements of your garden is where you can have a bit more freedom of expression in regard to colour. So once you get your hard landscaping in place, you’ll want to focus on these soft elements as well! This will also allow you to bring in pops of colour via flowers, trees and perhaps even fruits and vegetables.
The beauty of a living garden is that as the seasons change, so too will the colours on display. This means that no colour choice is permanent, and you can constantly evolve your garden space!
Time to get started!
While many of us often get preoccupied with decorating the interiors of our houses, our gardens deserve the same time, attention and respect. A few pieces of turf, maybe some garden pavers and a few colourful flowers or herbs can really turn an outdoor area around.
Have a sloping site, or want to create some depth and dimension to your yard? A basic retaining wall will do wonders. Invest a little bit of effort and you will soon reap the rewards. You may even get bitten by the landscaping bug and find yourself trawling through our ‘How To’ archives for garden project inspiration.
Got a question?
The team here at Rock n Soil would love to answer any burning questions you may have about choosing colours for your garden pavers and retaining walls. We love sharing our knowledge and experience with our customers, so don’t hesitate to consult the experts if you need any extra guidance. Visit our product info page to collect everything you need for your project and check out our ‘How To’ blogs for more DIY inspiration.