Dreaming up stunning color combinations is one of the most fun, creative, and satisfying activities any gardener can do.  But how to come up with them?  Well, you can study plant combination books, look at pictures, and imagine compositions in your head, but nothing beats seeing plants live and in person and trying out different combinations right in the garden.

That’s why I came up with this game.  I gather up samples of all the flowers and colored leaves that I can find from the garden, throw them together on the lawn, and start playing.

The game is not necessarily all about the exact plants to use, but rather it is a way to discover which color combinations are pleasing to you.

This is what the game looked like one year on August 31st.  I won’t go to the trouble of labeling them all, but if you’re curious about the identity of any of these plants, let me know.