b'feature gardenDuring the early 1990s, it was fashionable to use pastel colours in the garden, inuenced by Vita Sackville West and Sissinghursts White Garden. Nobody in New Zealand seemed to have heard of Vitas Hot Garden at that time so reds and oranges were perceived as the worst of taste. As for magentadont even mention it! After seeing Monets garden in late summer, andthejewel-likewaythemagentasof darkcosmos,dahliasandgladioliawere Above A rustic seat on the frontinterspersed with the rich golds of rudbeckia, veranda along with pots painted Resene Guardsman Red. sunowers and golden rod, I knew there Above left Robyn Kilty is planningwould be no more pastel for me.her next outrageous colourI couldnt wait to get home and plant those scheme.tasteless red owers in my front garden to Left Crimson asiatic lilies andcomplementtheReseneGuardsmanRed dark blue delphiniums blend well together against the Resenedoor. At rst I experimented with all the Bermuda Grey weatherboards. redstogetherthecoolmagentasand Opposite A quiet corner of thecrimsons, as well as the hot scarlet reds and house, white wisteria drapes overterracottabut found that in my small front a courtyard.garden, this just didnt work. It looked too spotty with no impact. I have seen since the cool and hot reds planted together in large gardens where there is plenty of space for each species and colour to be planted en masse, each making its own statement Right In early spring the hot colours,interspersedwithfoliage,anditlooked of the terracotta polyanthus andstunning.orange tulips are off-set in the front border by the cool creamyIn a small space, however, less is more, so I green of Helleborus Corsica and thebegan to limit my palette, using only the hot sky blue perennial forget-me-not scarlet reds, such as Geum Mrs Bradshaw snuggled between clipped box balls.and terracotta reds such as thebrownish-red rose Colourbreak. These are planted with bronze foliage plants such as ax and heucheraAmethystandalsowithlime greenHelleboruscorsicaandEuphorbia 86'