Colour inspired by the garden with Pollyanna Wilkinson

What happens when garden design and natural paint come together? Our collaboration with award-winning garden designer Pollyanna Wilkinson explores how colour can connect the home with its surrounding landscape.

Created for Belgravia in Bloom 2026, Pollyanna’s Palette brings together three new exterior paint colours — Helleborus, Thicket and Shadow — alongside two existing favourites, Fawn and Mummy.

Inspired by the colours of the English garden, the palette is designed to complement planting, natural materials and architectural features, allowing painted surfaces to sit comfortably within their surroundings.

Introducing Pollyanna’s Palette

For Pollyanna, choosing paint for a garden is often about deciding what should stand out and what should recede.

Rather than competing with planting, colour can help fences, gates, benches and other garden structures become part of the wider landscape.

This approach inspired three distinctive exterior shades, each with its own role to play.

Shadow

A deep blue-black, Shadow was developed for surfaces that should recede into the background.

It is particularly effective on fences, gates, sheds and trelliswork, where its darker character provides a striking backdrop for foliage and flowers.

Thicket

Described by Pollyanna as a settled green, Thicket draws on the natural greens of the garden.

Its restrained character makes it a versatile choice for benches, gates and painted garden structures, complementing planting rather than competing with it. For more inspiration, explore our guide to five timeless green paint colours.

Helleborus

Inspired by the rich, moody purple of its namesake flower, Helleborus introduces a more expressive note to the palette.

It is a beautiful choice for a front door, garden gate or piece of outdoor furniture, bringing colour to the landscape without overwhelming its surroundings.

The three new shades are joined by Fawn and Mummy, two softer neutrals selected for their ability to complement paving, stone and other natural materials.

Together, they offer a versatile approach to decorating outdoor spaces.

A conversation with Pollyanna Wilkinson

We spoke to Pollyanna about the inspiration behind her palette, her approach to colour in the garden and a few of her personal favourites.

Pollyanna’s Palette introduces Helleborus, Thicket and Shadow. What inspired each of these colours?

Shadow is very much inspired by the desire to make certain elements recede in a garden. Not everything needs to be a feature; some things need to quietly exist in the space without fighting for attention. Shadow is the perfect tone when you want something to sink into the background. It’s ideal for sheds, gates and fences.

Thicket was my quest for a subdued green that would sit harmoniously with foliage, evoking the natural greens found in the garden.

And Helleborus is inspired by its namesake, with those moody, maroon-purple tones of the flower.

Your work is known for its naturalistic planting style. How did you translate this into the palette?

I use paint to conceal and to harmonise rather than to shout, so my goal was to create a palette that would blend with, rather than compete with, the organic elements of a garden.

How do you see these colours being used?

Shadow is a brilliant option for anything you want to recede: sheds, fences, gates and trelliswork. The intention is that foliage growing in front of or over these surfaces will really stand out against the darker tones.

My hope with dark paint is not to create a dark box, but to provide a backdrop against which plants can be highlighted.

Thicket is the ultimate green for anything from benches to gates. It’s a timeless classic.

Helleborus is a stunning colour for a feature, whether that’s a front door, side gate or bench. It provides a subtle pop of colour.

Why did you choose Fawn and Mummy from the existing colour range?

I have an aversion to white walls in the garden. Within a season, they always look depressing and green in the UK!

Both Fawn and Mummy offer excellent options when you want a light tone without reaching for white. They’re far more forgiving, won’t show up the dirt as much and work in harmony with lots of paving tones.

You’ve built a reputation for creating gardens that feel both contemporary and timeless. How do you strike that balance when working with colour?

Keeping it classic and site-specific means it can’t go out of style.

What is your favourite plant, or is that an impossible question?

I absolutely don’t have one, and I’d be a bit worried if I did! The trick with designing gardens isn’t to shoehorn in my favourite plants but to respond to the garden, the client and the location.

No two gardens are the same, and life would be so boring if I used the same plant over and over.

I do have a deep, abiding fondness for roses, however, and grasses are incredibly useful.

Do you listen to podcasts while gardening, or do you prefer the sounds of nature?

I mostly listen to audiobooks. I get through dozens a year whilst gardening. I’m deep in Sarah J. Maas territory at the moment.

If I’m in the mood for a podcast, my favourite is The Rest Is Entertainment.

And what’s your go-to snack?

Cheese. Ideally Stilton.

Bringing colour and nature together

The collaboration was first celebrated at Belgravia in Bloom 2026, where Pollyanna’s Palette helped bring a Secret Garden installation to life at our Pimlico Road showroom.

Through painted furniture, naturalistic planting and garden-inspired colours, the installation explored how paint can complement the landscape and create a stronger connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.

The palette also reflects our wider approach to colour at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Created using carefully selected earth and mineral pigments, our colours draw on the natural world and the long history of architectural decoration.

Explore Pollyanna’s Palette to discover all five colours, or order A5 colour swatches to see how they work alongside your home’s exterior materials and surrounding planting.