Pastels in gardens seem to be out of fashion but Gillian Vine argues the case for pink.
When cottage gardens were all the rage a decade or so ago, pink, pale blue and white were the key colours but if recent lineups at big international events such as the Chelsea Flower Show are any guide, strong red and purple are in.
But why turn your back on pink?
You can have pale pinks to soothe or show up in poor light, or dark shades to follow the fashion for hot tones.
Obviously, too much pink would be cloying but with a bit of planning, your garden can have some pink highlights in every season.
For spring, bulbs come to mind, particularly hyacinths (China Pink and Pink Surprise are pastels) and freesias for perfume, but look up a little and consider some of the good-looking shrubs and small trees that have touches of pink in their leaf colour. The best are the maples, where newer Acer palmatum and A. palmatum dissectum cultivars have some of the best spring foliage on offer. Asahi Zuru has pink/white/green variegated spring foliage, while Beni Shichihenge and Shirazz have pinky-red/green.
These acers have a lot more going for them than spring colour, for they have bright autumn foliage, too, and are grafted to give size options from little Piccolo types that grow to less than 1m, to varieties that will top 15m or more when mature.
Available Cornus cultivars also includes some stunners. Cherokee Daybreak wins on every front, with pink/white/green variegated leaves in spring, white flowers, and salmon/rose leaves in autumn. Cherokee Sunset would also fit into a pink-themed garden area, for it has deep pink flowers and the foliage turns rose/purple in autumn.
Summer is dominated by annuals, perennials and roses, the list seemingly endless. For a single pink rose, the standout is Dainty Bess, which has been around since 1925.
There is also a climbing form, introduced a decade later.
Alstroemerias are good for those who like something for picking in summer (Pink Panther and Rose Frost are worth checking out) but if you prefer to leave flowers in the garden, day lilies (Hemerocallis) include pink-and-maroon Daring Deception and mid-pink Avon Crystal Rose, and jockeys' caps (Tigridia) come in pink with spotted white throats.
Also good for picking are gladioli.
The mini ones (Nymph is a classic pink-and-white variety) flower earlier than the tall varieties but the latter have the best colour range, with Priscilla, Pink Bambino and Double Contessa among the prettiest pinks.
Lilies, too, are splendid for picking, and the range is ever-growing, with newer doubles like Soft Music and Eloidie in recent garden catalogues. If your pink corner tends to be damp, try the dusky pink woodland lily, L. martagon. Calla lilies are not lilies but Zantedschia. Hybrids include pastel Aurora and mid-pink Hot Salmon.
Not always seen as suitable for picking are dahlias but they last several days in a vase and flower from around New Year until hit by frost. This year, one Dunedin gardener reported that she still had dahlias blooming in June.
In autumn, Michaelmas daisies, hollyhocks, chrysanthemums, nerines and belladonna lilies take over, fighting off the golds and browns of the season, while even in winter, there can be a hint of pink from the last creamy-rose rowan (Sorbus) berries, early-flowering rhododendrons - although, as we've seen recently, blooms suffer if there is snow - sweet-scented daphne, winter roses (hellebores) and hardy perennial Bergenia cordifolia.
So, ignore fashion and think pink.
