Bright flowers energize you, pale ones calm you down
Sachs AL, Larsen EK, Chalmin-Pui LS, Jonauskaite D, Mohr C, Christodoulou M, Cameron RW, Griffiths A.
Urban Ecology
Picking flower colours for your beds isn't just about looks; it's a way to actually tune the mood of the space, whether you want a border that feels lively or a corner that feels peaceful.
Researchers set up a colour picker at a garden show and asked over 11,000 people to choose their favourite flower colour and describe how it made them feel. Bold, saturated reds, yellows, and purples came out as favourites and were linked to excitement and joy, while soft, pale, or muted shades and cool colours like blue and green were tied to calm, relaxed feelings. So the flower colours you choose for your garden can genuinely shape whether that space feels energizing or soothing to be in.
Key Findings
Across 11,569 participants, saturated red and saturated yellow were the most popular favourite flower colours, closely followed by saturated purple and saturated cyan.
Saturated warm hues (red, orange, yellow) produced the highest valence and power scores, tied to happiness, excitement, and energy.
Light and muted hues, cool hues (green, cyan, blue, purple), and achromatic colours (grey, white, black) were linked to lower valence and power, tied to calmness, relaxation, and mild sadness.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A study of over 11,000 garden visitors found that bright, saturated flower colours like red and yellow make people feel happy and energized, while pale, muted, or cool-toned flowers feel calming and relaxing instead.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Flower power: How favourite flower colours shape how we feel.
Gardens are widely regarded as restorative environments, yet evidence on how specific design elements influence emotions remains limited. This study examined flower colour, a core principle of gard...
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