The colour of flowers in a garden, not the plants themselves, may be the key to boosting mood, according to a new study by scientists at the Royal Horticultural Society.
Researchers found that gardeners are drawn overwhelmingly to vivid, saturated flower colours, with red topping the list for the love and admiration it inspires. The more intense the hue, the stronger the emotional pull, while muted, dark and pale tones produced far weaker reactions.
The findings come from a study of more than 11,000 visitors to RHS Wisley Garden in Surrey. Participants were shown more than 30 flower hues on a screen for 15 seconds and asked to select the emotion each one triggered.
Yellow came a close second overall, producing the highest scores for happiness and joy. Green and cyan blooms were linked to courage and pride, while blue and purple inspired calm and relaxation. Grey and white blooms were rated calming but boring.
Vivid hues accounted for six in ten of gardeners’ favourite shades, followed by muted tones at 18 percent, dark colours at 12 percent and light colours at eight percent. Red’s dominance held across three of the four seasons but was overtaken by yellow during spring.
Co-author Professor Ross Cameron, professor of environmental horticulture at the University of Sheffield, said the study provides evidence for designing gardens that support emotional wellbeing through colour selection. Saturated warm colours like red, yellow and purple can energise spaces, he said, while light and muted cool colours like blue and green promote relaxation.
The research, led by Dr Ashby Sachs, is published in the journal Acta Psychologica.
