Design Disasters: Color

DC springs are hard to beat, but why, oh why, must home owners plant screaming fuschia or red azaleas in front of a red brick house? And believe me, there are houses all over the city and the suburbs that look almost exactly like this ... makes me want to rent a flame thrower!

Please plant the red and purple azaleas in front of stone houses with gray or tan hues, or plant white ones (only) in front of brick (you can also get away with very pale pink and lavenders). Maybe the ubiquitous off-kilter color schemes are the reason why a lot of Washingtonians come to hate azaleas and avoid planting them at all costs.

BUT ... If you can't bear to get rid of the big old azaleas that have been in the yard for years, at least move them around and add some whites and perhaps other hues to tone down the color scheme.

The photo below is of azaleas at Hillwood Museum & Gardens in DC ... and as you can, the mixed colors look pretty spectacular when in the right setting.

 

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