This is a small garden, so I have deliberately exercised restraint when it comes to colour. Flowers are generally white and green, bringing a sense of cohesion and a much needed feeling of freshness to the later months of summer.

However I am wary that this can sometimes feel a little contrived, so am feeling the need to introduce tiny accents of colour in order to lend a slightly more natural feel to my monochrome composition.

One colour that does seem to have crept in almost by stealth is yellow. I did not consciously plan it, but I like it. Having said that, I have been careful not to introduce any old yellow. it has to be fairly pale, bordering on the ‘cream’, or if bright, restricted to the centres of daisies, the transient whorls of the phlomis or the swaying sulpherous flowers of the Thalictrum Flavum.

In addition to yellow, I have become aware of the tiny splashes of dark red. There are only the tiniest hints of this, which is probably enough. But this colour does seem to look good with the pale yellow and the white. Sadly the postion of the Corylus is denied its much needed sun for much of the day, so the richness of the colour, whilst good in the early months, is somewhat compromised by the end of the year. However the Geranium, Sanguisorba, Hibiscus and digitalis all make their own contributions.