The Power of Red

Red Energy

Red is a very powerful colour. It has the lowest vibration in the visible colour spectrum of light. When you look at a coloured picture or painting, the first colour our eyes pick up is the colour red. 

Artist's Red

There are three primary colours from which all other colours can be made from. These are 

• red
• blue
• yellow

Secondary colours which are made from a mixture of these colours are

• red + blue = purple
  blue + yellow = green
  yellow + red = orange

Complementary colours are opposites on the colour wheel. The opposite of red is green. So when you put red and green together, they sparkle and they make each other stand out. 
  

Advertising

Red is used as an advertising colour to make things jump out at you. Think McDonald's fast food chain. Red gets you moving through quickly. 

Red attracts, but you don't want to hang around it very long.

GrumbleTumms food van

 Energy

If you are feeling down and tired, put on some red clothes. This will cheer you up and get you energized. 

When little children get agitated and irritable, if they have red clothing on, change it to blue and it will help them to calm down. 

Red in the Garden

Red flowers are very strong. Red hibiscus and red roses will grow very well in hot sunshine. Other red flowers are nasturtiums, dahlias and poppies, tulips and salvias. They bring strong colour into a garden. Generally, bees are not as attracted to red flowers. So, it you are allergic to bee stings, add some red flowers into your garden. 

Chakras

Chakras are energy centres of the body. There are 7 main energy centres and numerous minor centres. Each of these main energy centres are assigned one of the seven colours of the rainbow. The Base chakra is located at the base of the spine inside the body. The colour associated with this is red. 

Red Crystals

Red crystals are used on the red Base chakra for healing. These red crystals are a reddish brown to black colour. They are red jasper, red calcite, garnet and ruby. They balance the energy of the ares and help the blood inside our body.

Red Food

Red food is important for our body. The bright red colour has special nutrients which help us to stay healthy. Some of these foods are tomatoes, red peppers, red capsicum, beetroot, strawberries, raspberries, apples, rhubarb and cherries. 

 Graphics and designs by Therese Vahland

Six Secrets of Green Garden Design

Garden Greenery

Looking out into my backyard, the overwhelming colour I see is green. It is the beginning of Spring here now. We had rain yesterday after some warm days. The garden has come alive. 

 

 

Green garden setting

Lawn

Often the first thing people think of in a garden is a lawn. It can be made of all sorts of grasses, clovers or weeds. You can get slow growing lawns or quick growing. They need regular cutting to keep manageable. The rest of my garden is awash with green, from low growing plants 30cm high to large bushes 2 mtrs high to trees 3-4 mts high. They are all covered in green.

Spiny grey green leaves of Aloe vera

Create Interest in your Garden

To make this greenery interesting, take into account

1. height of plant
2. shape of plant
3. shape of leaves
4. texture of leaves
5. aroma
6. shade of green
7. colour of leaves 

• The height of the plant is important. Plant tall plants at the back of the garden.

• The shape of the plant is important. Look for narrow plants for narrow beds. It is annoying to have to be always trimming back a plant because it is always in the way. 

Turk's Cap, 2 metres tall with large rounded green leaves

• Vary the shape of the leaves on your plants, like round leaves of Nasturtiums, long narrow leaves of a spider plant, large, frilly leaves of rhubarb or star cut edges of a maple tree. 

Spider plants can grow inside or outside.

• Texture of leaves can bring interest to a garden. Lamb's ear's silvery grey leaves are soft and furry and invite you to bend and rub them. Borage leaves have hairs all over them but they are not prickly.

• Bringing perfume or aroma into the garden is a pleasure. Lemon scented geranium leaves have a beautiful perfume when rubbed as do lavender leaves and rosemary.

Bamboo

• The colour of leaves can change, starting out burgundy and ending up green as in some roses. Leaves can be emerald green or variegated in a green/cream mix, or blue/green of many Australian native plants. 

As you can see, green in your garden can be interesting, as interesting as you wish to make it. You can be the artist in your garden.