Bridgehampton - Colors have healing qualities, they can rejuvenate our spirits, and at times bring us to a sacred place. The colors with which we surround ourselves in daily life affect us profoundly.

Blue and Pink Garden - Sagaponack.

Often when colors are purposely arranged in a garden setting, their powerful impression captures our imagination. Whether they are combinations of brilliant colors, and/or subdued gentle shades of colors; they draw us into the garden and sometimes into our personal memories and dreams.

I have found through the years my fascination with the brilliant colors of chartreuse, Nile green and any hue of purple are colors that I have loved since childhood. White is also splendid to surround oneself with.

Throughout the years I have found that some of my landscape clients have been quite specific in their dislike for certain colors, or on the other hand, they express sheer adoration of other colors for their gardens.

When planning some of my first personal gardens I envisioned blues, and purples and fuscia pinks.

Depending on the look you wish to achieve; one can go about creating very lush and colorful garden beds by first deciding what is the color scheme and look you wish to create. Whether complimentary colors, monochromatic, or multi-colored beds, it is always best to understand the how to combine complimentary colors for the best impact. Basically, warm colors like, red, orange and yellow blend or cool colors like, green, blue, and purple. Also, one must consider the ultimate height desired of the tallest flower, shrub, ornamental grass or perennial plants as a color backdrop.

Hummingbird and Butterfly Flower Garden - Bridgehampton.

In open areas where the exposure to full sun and wind factors are prevalent, I like to see motion. Motion as in billowing pale grasses, and plants that are strong in color and resilience. Here on the East End the free flowing gardens I like to design integrate well with our farm land and beach surroundings.

Limelight Pee Gee Hydrangea, Japanese Miniature Maple, (Cabaret) Variegated Miscanthus ornamental grass.

A favorite combination of complimentary colors, e.g., warm colors such as orange, red, yellow, fuscia, and opposite cool colors such as blue, purple and green can be found with Mordens Pink Lithrum (Loosestrife) and Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan) - bright yellow with dark brown center, Kim's Knee High (Echinacia) purple pink, and Autumn Joy (Sedum) - a large green flower changing to pink by mid-summer and bronze by fall. When this combination bursts into color it is a stunning display that keeps on giving pretty much throughout the summer months.

Fields and meadows are always in style, and a monochromatic field is just breathtaking in any color. Here is a field of mostly pink Cosmos - a glorious field that some of us may be familiar with when driving on the back roads. Cosmos are annual and would need to be sowed in early spring.

Humming birds and butterflies are attracted to red, fuscia, orange and strong yellow colors (hot colors).

A shrub called Buddleia, (Butterfly Bush) is one of the most popular for butterflies. This shrub is wonderfully generous. It's lilac shape flowers continue to bloom throughout summer, and eventually when established - self seeds. Buddleia colors are hot pink, to lavender and white Buddleia. Along with Buddleia's bountiful flowering all summer, you are also gifted by its clean fresh fragrance as well.

Cosmos Field - Water Mill.

A question was asked regarding white as a color. Well for me it most certainly IS! I especially love the combination of strong whites along with burgundy, chartreuse and deep purples.

When designing a white garden, there are several wonderful perennials plants and vines I recommend: (Pee Gee Limelight) Hydrangea, and or (Annabelle) Hydrangea, (Diana) white rose of Sharon, Chinese white wisteria, Nicotania (mostly treated as an annual) and sometimes reseeds itself. Nicotania known for it's sultry heady fragrance; (Carlesii) Viburnum Korean spice bush, White climbing roses (White Dawn), Seafoam shrub roses and white Davidii tall Flox all work, and if you can find Moon Flower climbing vines (also annual) - it always enchants the garden in evening when their beautiful white flowers open and exude a sweet gentle scent.

"Wishing you all a happy spring, and let's all keep looking forward."