Colourful Gardens

Written and photographed by Dennis Greville. Publishers New Holland. RRP $39.99 full colour

This is a book for all those who are driven to passionate exploration of colour in their lives.

Colourful flowers and foliage have the power to transform the garden into a personal space that will stimulate the senses and give pleasure throughout the year.

‘In this book I invite you to explore the exciting opportunity to use colour in your garden so that it becomes an energising and visually pleasurable added dimension to your world, a dimension that reflects your own sense of space, mystery and drama.’

DENNIS GREVILLE is New Zealand’s most respected gardening writer and photojournalist. In Colourful Gardens he shares his secrets and takes us through the essential steps necessary to create glorious, eye-catching gardens.

He draws on his expertise as a plantsman and designer of beautiful gardens, on his training and practice in the fine arts, and on a consummate understanding and knowledge of plants acquired after many years of practical experience.

In Colourful Gardens Dennis explains first how to structure a garden along the basic principles of colour combinations. Each following chapter showcases a different colour or tone (red, orange, yellow, green, blue/purple, white, pastels), and a final section goes into the use of ornament.

Through his superb photography he demonstrates how to work with colour harmonies, exploit the interplay of sunlight and shadow, use colour to manipulate volume and perspective, extend the use of colour into ornaments and outdoor areas, and plan your plantings to keep the colour going throughout the seasons.

Dennis Greville is the author of 15 authoritative books on gardening, and his writing and photography have for many years featured in New Zealand Gardener, Burke’s Backyard, Weekend Gardener, and other magazines. Dennis lives in Auckland and travels extensively, photographing natural flora and the world’s great gardens.