5 Ways to Use Pastel Plantings in Contemporary Gardens

Pastel colors — pink, lilac, lavender, cream, peach — bring tranquility and lightness even to stark contemporary gardens. In informal plantings, they create soft, subtle effects, and they pair beautifully with gray/silver foliage or bolder colors for lively, cottage-inspired modern spaces.

1. Plant in a Matrix

Matrix planting mimics nature's intermingling growth, usually with a dominant species punctuating the scheme. Pastels blend seamlessly; stronger colors add bursts. Seen at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court shows. Dark blue German iris (Iris germanica) and deep blue sage (Salvia sp.) enliven pale blue hardy geraniums (Geranium sp.). Creamy pale yellow-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium striatum) adds architectural height while maintaining restful intensity.

2. Frame Pastels with Evergreens

Dark evergreen backdrops make pastels pop. Dusty blue catmint (Nepeta × faassenii) and soft pink hardy geranium stand against boxwood (Buxus sp.); creamy Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) flowers blend in to complete the scheme.

3. Add Silver and Gray as Foils

Silver foliage combines splendidly with pastels, especially blues, pinks, purples. French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) and lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) lining a path complement each other across the walkway.

4. Mix Bolder Colors for Depth

A pastel-only palette can feel flat. Blue and white agapanthus with purple tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) gain depth from a burst of bright red Crocosmia 'Lucifer'. The strong red makes quieter pastels recede, adding dimension.

5. Take Pastels to a Higher Level

Foxgloves, once hedgerow plants, are cottage garden classics. Their architectural spires add height. Gertrude Jekyll popularized white foxglove (Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora) in white schemes — now essential to pastel palettes. Modern varieties offer layered pastel hues.

Raised beds in an urban garden overflow with tonal pastels blended by low foliage: common sage (Salvia officinalis 'Purpurascens'), lavender cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus). Success lies in linking planting to hardscape — white flowers echo white fencing and bed sides.

A small roof garden combines pastels for a calming, colorful atmosphere. Gray containers and silver-foliage olive trees foil a blue theme: lavender (Lavandula sp.), sage (Salvia × superba), violets (Viola cornuta). Powder blue pillows link seating to plantings.

A more formal contemporary design incorporates pastel touches via pink, lilac, and purple outdoor pillows tying into the plantings.