Spirals of colour, in the windmills of your mind

A spiral of colour is the theme top designer Tom Massey has taken on in his latest show garden which displays the way gardens can enhance your mood and help your wellbeing.

Research shows the therapeutic value and feeling of wellbeing that people get from gardening, according to Thrive, the charity that uses gardening to help people living with disabilities or ill health, or are vulnerable or isolated. But colour can also make an impact.

Massey, 31, was inspired by zen gardens and Japanese designs to come up with his Perennial Sanctuary Garden - to be shown at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show in July - and has done much research on how the colour and form of plants can change your mood.

At the outer edge of his showpiece, the vibrant red colours represent the inner chaos that can come from being at crisis point. As the visitor takes the journey into the garden following a winding gravel path, sounds from outside the garden fade.

The planting becomes taller and more immersive and the colour scheme moves through stimulating yellows and oranges to more restful purples, blues and finally, pure green.

Towards the middle of the design the planting is simplified, leading to a calm sanctuary at the centre of the garden. Here the planting changes to a single species of towering bamboo that screens the outside world, creating a safe haven and place for peaceful reflection, hidden from view.

But you don't have to create a show garden to generate a positive atmosphere in your outside space. The use of a particular palette to generate a mood can be replicated in many gardens, Massey explains.

"Red is a very stimulating colour - it's eye-catching, it can mean passion, danger and warning, but ultimately it's an exciting colour," says Massey, who uses Sanguisorba 'Tanna', Crocosmia 'Hellfire' and Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' to energise and uplift in his own show garden. "Red comes to the fore if you want a vibrant bed."

Orange hues spark enthusiasm, fascination, happiness and creativity, combining the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. If you prefer an orange palette, you might try Achillea millefolium 'Terracotta' and Kniphofia uvaria 'Nobilis'.

Yellow is the colour of sunshine, associated with joy, happiness and intellect and produces a warming effect, arousing cheerfulness and stimulating mental activity, says Massey. It's an optimistic, positive colour and plants in this band include Helianthus annuus and Inula helenium.

Purple is associated with wisdom and dignity. Plants in this band include Veronicastrum virginicum 'Fascination' and Miscanthus 'Purpurascens'. Lilac and lavender shades also have a restful quality.

Blue is often associated with depth and stability, symbolising trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence and calm. Plants in this band include Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal' and Phlox 'Blue Paradise'.

Bright colours tend to look more vibrant in sunny settings, while blue and green palettes can flourish in semi-shaded areas, creating a cool, calm atmosphere.

At the centre of Massey's garden, is the screen of towering bamboo. The colour palette is pure green, the colour of nature, representing growth, harmony, freshness, stability and endurance. Green has healing power, it is the most restful colour for the human eye and it has strong emotional correspondence with safety and sanctuary.

"Different forms and textures can be visually exciting and stimulating, but if you have one single species it can create a calming, restful environment."

• The Perennial Sanctuary Garden will be shown at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show from July 3-9

BEST OF THE BUNCH: DWARF IRIS

The miniature rockery iris, I. reticulata, grows to just 10cm and brightens up scree beds and containers, its flowers in shades of blue with yellow inner markings or orange splashes, emerging before the grassy tufts of leaves around 30cm high.

Plant the bulbs at twice their own depth in late autumn in a well-drained, sunny spot, adding grit to the soil to help drainage.

Good varieties include I. 'Harmony', which bears deep velvety blue flowers with yellow lines, and 'Blue Note', which is violet blue with feather white markings.

I. 'Katharine Hodgkin' is another to look out for, with its light blue flowers with rich yellow tongues and a maroon fleck.

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT: EARLY VEG IN THE GREENHOUSE

If you want to steal a march on summer, start sowing some delicious crops in your soil border in your greenhouse now and you should be harvesting them long before some of your neighbours.

You shouldn't go far wrong if you sow produce which is going to remain under cover thoughout its life.

Vegetables such as French beans, carrots and baby beetroot are great for this and you'll be harvesting them much earlier than you would outside.

Check on the seed packet that you have a greenhouse variety.

With climbing beans, sow two bean seeds per pot and place them on greenhouse staging in a frost-free greenhouse.

When they have filled their pots with roots, plant them 20cm apart in the greenhouse border enriched with organic matter and put in a stake between each plant.

Make sure you save space for later crops such as tomatoes, which can be planted in late April or May.

Baby root vegetables and salad crops including radishes, spinach and lettuce, can also be sown thinly in the greenhouse border.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK

• Harden off autumn-sown cauliflowers which have been overwintered in frames
• Regularly check late potatoes you have in store. As sprouts appear, rub them out
• In mild, dry conditions, plant out polyanthus
• Tidy up pansies and violas in hanging baskets and containers as they come into life for spring
• Top dress permanent plantings in tubs
• Clean watering cans, seed trays and pots for the season ahead
• Prick out seedlings in the greenhouse and transfer to larger pots
• Continue to order plug plants or pick them up at garden centres
• Protect strawberries with horticultural fleece
• Keep an eye on blackberries, taking care to tie in new growth as it occurs
• Prune hydrangeas, removing the old flowering heads which protected the plant against frost over the winter
• Sow summer spinach, which should be ready to harvest in May