It's overwhelming and intimidating. Stop by a garden center in spring and you're visually assaulted with color. There are so many to choose from, and each becomes a favorite. Whether or not those preferences are the best choice for your landscape is another matter. Many plantings miss the mark with color that's not quite right.

"Color unifies the house with the landscape," says Catherine Bowen Drewry, a landscape designer in Crawford, Georgia. "People spend a lot of time thinking about the colors inside their home and on the exterior. They need to factor landscape colors into the equation," she says.

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Take cues from your architecture. Roof, trim, and house colors are all factors in determining the best palette. Make note of mature trees and shrubs that bloom throughout the year. Their flowers should complement the overall scheme as well. "If your house is orange-based brick, ask yourself how that hot pink crepe myrtle is going to look against it," Catherine says. "Is it going to pick up a little pink in the brick, or is it really going to clash with it?