The secret to a mood-boosting garden may lie not in what you plant, but in the shade it blooms in.
Scientists at the Royal Horticultural Society have found that gardeners are drawn overwhelmingly to vivid, saturated flower colors, with red topping the list for the love and admiration it inspires. The more intense the hue, the stronger the emotional pull. Muted, dark and pale tones all produced far weaker reactions.
Yellow came a close second, with the highest scores for happiness and joy. Gray and white blooms were rated calming but boring.
The findings come from a study of more than 11,000 visitors to RHS Wisley Garden in Surrey. They were shown more than 30 flower hues on a screen for 15 seconds, then asked to choose the emotion each one triggered.
Green and cyan blooms were linked to courage and pride. Cooler shades such as blue and purple inspired calm and relaxation more than any other colors.
"Our findings highlight the psychological significance of flower colours in shaping emotional experiences," said co-author Ross Cameron, a professor of environmental horticulture at the University of Sheffield. "The study provides evidence for designing gardens that support emotional wellbeing through colour selection."
Vivid hues accounted for six in ten of gardeners' favorite shades overall, followed by muted tones at 18 percent, dark colors at 12 percent and light colors at 8 percent.
Yellow and orange blooms were most likely to be chosen both by people seeking joy and by gardeners looking for an energy boost. Dark-colored flowers were associated with contentment and admiration, but scored lower for pride, love and relief.
"Saturated warm flower colours can be used to energise spaces, whereas light and muted cool colours promote relaxation," Cameron said.
Red's lead held across three of the four seasons, but yellow took first place in spring.