We are starting to round the bend from the Dog Days of summer. Before we know it, we will be in the thick of winter again where everything will be dull, dreary, and bland.
In between, we get to experience a riot of color as the leaves and plants give us their final hurrahs and go out with a flourish.
After the last leaf falls, I find myself counting the moments until spring begins again. Each year, my husband and children jest about having to tape paper leaves to the trees for mom.
As the final winter snows thaw away, I can be found relentlessly scouring the tree branches for signs of green leaf buds. Once they begin to pop open with their showy yellow-green hues, I begin to breathe a sigh of relief that the color I long for is about to arrive.
Adding the right bold pop of color at the right moment can help to keep your favorite outdoor sanctuary looking beautiful and vibrant–even when the natural landscape is dreary and desolate.
As Edith Holden says in The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, “The blackest month of all the year is the month of Janiveer.” She is, of course, referring to the long nights and stark emptiness of color and life in January.
While Edith Holden may have been limited to seasonal, local items in 1906, today we have the world at our fingertips. Adding splashes of color outdoors is as easy as pressing a few buttons.
Choose a Bold Color
When skies are grey and landscapes are brown, a single point of color can be huge to liven up an outdoor space.
Bright seat cushions or throw pillows on outdoor seating or bold patterns can make a huge difference. It’s a quick, easy, and inexpensive change that can truly brighten the outdoors.
Add Seasonal Plants
A live plant can completely change the look and feel of a space. Adding seasonal plants outdoors can add some vibrant color to an otherwise drab area.
Certain varieties of flowers can even bloom when temperatures drop. In late fall or early spring, when you’re going crazy for some color, plant some calendula in containers or pop some pansies along walkways or at the base of trees.
You can add months to your gardening season by adding some of those seasonal plants. It makes the winter doldrums much easier to bear.
A Fresh Coat of Paint
That sounds too simple, but really, a fresh coat of paint can be the difference between night and day.
Designers often say that fresh paint is one of the cheapest but also the most impactful upgrades a person can make to their home. The same rule can be applied to the outdoors, too!
You don’t have to get crazy and paint your entire house school-bus yellow. Although if you really want to, you can. There are no rules here.
If you’re more conservative, a tastefully done accent garden wall can add color and dimension to your outdoor space. Or make even less of a commitment by painting a door or window a bright and vibrant color.
Consider Coniferous Accents
Whether it be a pine tree that is planted the year you move into your home or to commemorate the birth of a child, a coniferous tree (or trees) added to your landscape can make a huge difference and fight winter blues.
Coniferous trees have needles instead of leaves, which is part of what keeps them green year-round. If you’re hesitant to add a tree or shrub to your outdoor landscaping, a topiary can give your outdoor area a punch of color and a touch of elegance.
Fairy Lights
Adding lights around Christmas is a no-brainer.
The glitz and glimmer of Christmas lights and displays are part of what adds to the holiday cheer we have come to expect during the first portion of winter.
Once the holiday is over and the displays come down, many people find themselves struggling with crippling debt and the significant loss of the bright colors. Adding some fairy lights to your outdoor living spaces is a quick and relatively inexpensive fix.
There are a ton of easy and affordable ways to add beautiful color to the outdoors. As we move into autumn, we know our days of colorful landscapes and lush greenery are numbered. By implementing a few small changes, you can add some beautiful color to your outdoor spaces without costing a fortune.
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