In his book, "The Well-Tempered Garden," the late British writer/gardener Christopher Lloyd writes, "What we mean by good or bad colouring in flowers is so disputable that it is obviously safer not to write on the subject at all."

It's true that opinions about color in the garden differ wildly. I'll often hear gardeners say, "You'll never see the color _____ (usually orange) in my garden." In fact, just the other day, Atlanta hairstylist James Cox told me he doesn't like any yellow flowers — not even sunflowers. "I don't know. Yellow somehow reminds me of the '70s," he explained.

Martha Tate (ENLARGE)

Blossoms can be appreciated for their color singly — as in the case of a velvety red rose.

Martha Tate (ENLARGE)

Blossoms also can be appreciated for their color for how they complement other hues in the garden. 'Rozanne' geranium is a gorgeous true blue that would look wonderful with chartreuse creeping Jenny.

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Cox has a minimalist garden where he grows palm trees and agaves; he's always on the lookout for tropical-looking plants that are hardy. In summer, he brings out red or pink hibiscus but never yellow.

When someone mentions color in the garden, many of us have been conditioned to think in large drifts of pink Kurume azaleas or a dramatic swath of blue pansies. But I think it is worthwhile to stop and appreciate a single blossom for its unusual color, or to note how one plant might look next to another, colorwise.

Here are some examples:

• Standing in Pam Harper's Virginia garden on a sunny March day, I looked down at Ranunculus ficaria 'Brazen Hussy', with its chocolate-brown, almost black, leaves and waxy yellow flowers. The plant was no more than 4 inches high and maybe 12 inches wide, but what an impact it made with its startling color contrast. It's a fun plant to try here in Atlanta and is at its best in March.

• In one of her books, "Color Echoes: Harmonizing Color in the Garden," Harper promotes the idea of tying a garden together by planting flowers or foliage of the same color in different spots. This reminds me of a garden in Normandy where a British gardener (and protégé of Christopher Lloyd's) had sprinkled burgundy and silver throughout one area of his garden. Another spot contained plantings of orange flowers, including a spirea of Lloyd's introduction, an odd orange bearded iris and orange poppies. By the door of the ancient cottage where the protégé lived were various red flowers, including a deep velvety red rose, brighter red peonies and a large shrub (I had never seen it before) with red, dangly flowers.

• Australian-born Robin Parer of Marin County, Calif., devoted an entire section of her extensive hillside to a "bruise garden." The plant combinations were inspired by a bruise she sustained on one of her annual bicycle trips across the United States. She loved the beautiful colors on her leg and sought out flowers and foliage to combine; lime greens, burgundies, deep purples and blues were the predominant colors.

• In this same California garden was a pansy that was the first truly black flower I had ever seen. Around Halloween I see black pansies for sale here, along with orange ones. Usually, so-called black flowers are really deep, deep purple. I gave a friend a dark velvety purple Louisiana iris, and I must say it was one of the prettiest flowers I'd ever seen.

• Some colors might need to be isolated. Magenta is one of these. It's often hard to find a color that can stand up next to it. Every year when thrift (creeping phlox) blooms, I think about how difficult it is to combine that unique purple color with other spring flowers.

• Blue mophead hydrangeas can turn some of the most beautiful colors imaginable. In Jim Scott's lakeside garden in Alabama, he has planted 'Nikko Blue' on two sides of a parking area. One shrub produces flowers in a nice blue, but the other is the richest medium blue possible.

• The recent introduction Geranium 'Rozanne' is a truly marvelous blue and looks wonderful next to a gazing ball of the same color or planted with chartreuse creeping Jenny.

MARTHA'S PICK

Amarcrinum

Botanical name: X Amarcrinum memoria-corsii

About the plant: This beautiful cross between an amaryllis and a crinum lily blooms at a time when its clear pink flowers might seem a bit odd. From August until frost, when yellows and purples dominate the garden, the funnel-shaped, soft pink flowers appear in clusters atop 24- to 30-inch stems. The blooms are fragrant and are long-lasting in cut flower arrangements.

Use in the garden: Lovely to plant against an evergreen backdrop. Plant where the fragrance can be appreciated.

Planting and care: Grow in full sun to partial shade in rich, well-drained soil. If you live in an area colder than Zone 7, grow this bulb in a container and bring it in during frigid weather.

Source: Brent and Becky's Bulbs, 7900 Daffodil Lane, Gloucester, VA 23061. 804-693-3966, www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com.

Martha Tate is an Atlanta gardener and co-producer of HGTV's "A Gardener's Diary" (check local listings for airtimes). Her column appears biweekly. Write to her in care of AJC Home & Garden, P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta, GA 30302.