Color - Nature's Universal Language

“The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color. Our entire being is nourished by it…” Hans Hoffman

Color is the language of Nature. She directs, influences and assists all in the natural world through color’s non verbal command.

We, humans also unknowingly respond to color. This was shown in 1948 when a marketing consultant named Louis Cheskin suggested changing the color of the packaging of Jelke’s Good Luck margarine from the traditional white to yellow. This color change so dramatically improved the product’s sales that, since then, every subsequent brand of margarine and butter has been wrapped in yellow.

Why was such a simple modification so successful? Because color speaks to us on a physical, emotional and psychological level and cuts across all cultural, gender and ethnic barriers, just as Nature intended. Red represents excitement and literally stimulates our bodies. Blue evokes calm. Green is restful.

The physiological and emotional responses elicited by color is a good starting point for understanding how to use it in a serenity garden. Once you understand how colors create a particular mood, you are on the road to creating memorable and harmonious outdoor spaces. As Louis Cheskin noted, “The right colors are silent music; the wrong colors irritate and disturb.”

(garden ...Jan Johnsen)