Team the calming qualities of blue with the revitalising power of green and you get teal. It’s the colour of the year for your gardens, nominated by the US Garden Media in its 25th annual report. It’s a colour named after the gregarious Eurasian teal duck, which has two swishes of this gentle hue running down its head.
And it’s a colour that can have a unique impact on your garden!
Why is teal the colour of the year?
Either deep, moody and rich or pale and luminescent, the colour teal “bridges the realms of fantasy and reality, evoking the serene blues of the Caribbean water, the expansive freedom of vast skies and the immersive depths of virtual spaces,” according to Garden Media in the US.
You can see teal in the verdigris patina on ancient copper domes of churches and monuments, or in nature among the feathers of birds (imagine a peacock’s tail fan display without this extraordinary colour), the spectacular auroras of the Northern and Southern Lights or this amazingly eclectic collection of plants.
“Teal is a beautiful colour, an interesting bridge between greens and blues,” says James Treble, a designer and colour consultant.
“It’s very calming as it’s not as bold as primary colours.” If you can’t find a teal-coloured plant that suits your soil or climate, he suggests painting outdoor furniture, fences, doors or window frames in the hue. “You can use it as a block, but it also lends so well to stripes. It’s stunning against white, but you can add pops of other colours such as yellow, raspberry or coral outdoor cushions.”
7 plants to grow for a teal garden colour scheme
Blue agave
Agave tequilana
The perfect symmetry of the blue agave’s rosette creates balance and harmony in a garden – and its colour adds a cool elegance. These striking rosettes are also cultivated in Mexican plantations where they’re a vital ingredient in the manufacture of tequila!
Turquoise hyacinth
Lachenalia viridiflora
Brighten your winter garden with turquoise hyacinths (Lachenalia viridiflora). They thrive in a Mediterranean climate where the summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and wet.
Blue star juniper
Juniperus squamata
Blue star juniper gets its name from the star-like clusters of needles at the end of its stems. Slow growing, it forms a low mound and looks perfect in a rockery.
Porcelain berry
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata
For a spectacular visual feature, let a porcelain berry clamber up a trellis, arbour or naked wall. As the berries age, they change colour from green to vibrant shades of teal, purple and pink.
Blue fescue grass
Festuca glauca
Blue fescue is a native clumping grass that’s ideal for rockeries and needs minimal maintenance. The blades, which you cut back in early spring, turn pale gold in winter.
Blue star fern
Phlebodium aureum
The undulating and deeply lobed fronds of a blue star fern look great in a pot – or lodge it in the fork of a tree and it will thrive in its shade.
Sapphire tower bromeliad
Puya alpestris
The sapphire tower (Puya alpestris) is a bromeliad like you’ve never seen before, with its startling teal flowers and bright orange pollen.
From the Chilean Andes, it prefers warm, sunny days and cool nights, as you’d find in mountainous areas. It can take up to 10 years to flower, but when it does the spikes grow up to 2 metres!
