I always find the color of  Spring’s abundant blossoms inspiring.  This year I am keeping my favorite Spring hues alive by wearing them into Autumn.  Pairing the colors of cherry blossoms with blacks and browns, yellows with burnt orange and bright blues with dark grays, just because we have to switch out our summer wardrobes for Fall doesn’t mean putting away all the bright colorful pieces.

I also love to bring in the last of Summer’s fresh cut flowers and make big, random bouquets around my apartment. Mother Nature has them all mixed up outdoors, so keeping the palettes vibrant and varied really brings the outdoors in.

Beat the end of the Summer blues and try something fresh and colorful like buying a new shade of lipstick the color of a tulip you think would be flattering. Pair a bright colored purse with vivid patterns; I’ve unearthed my green patent leather clutch and have been wearing it with bright flower patterned dresses and knee high brown leather boots and it looks great. And even though sadly beach days may all but be over for now, yesterday I painted my toenails as close to a pink peony that I could find.

Color Maven April Clark and I spent a sensational day at the New York Botanical Gardens this past Spring. Here are some of our favorite blooms while we were there. Think how you can bring these colors into your life.

But alas, I live in a concrete jungle. So to pacify my garden cravings , I hit the streets of my neighborhood , camera in hand. I am in search of Manhattan greenery.

Although yards are an impossibility here (without a Trump sized budget and apartment ), tree lined blocks are possible. These flowering trees are a welcome sight to any nature loving tree hugger. The blossoms of these branches seem to be dancing in the wind- very romantic looking.

Other trees are surrounded by an army of daffodils. These little patches of yellow are just enough to bring a smile to everyone that passes by.

And some green thumbed neighbor has spruced up the window box with some lovely pansies. My love of pansies was formed by helping my grandmother plant them around the birdbath in her back yard.

I saunter into the Metropolitan Museum of Art and am welcomed by enormous sprays of pink blossoms in elegant urns. The entire front lobby is filled with these branches, adding to the already impressive beauty of this space.

Outside the Egyptian Temple , in The Met, the bright yellow forsythia bushes provide cheerful camouflage for the parade of yellow taxis.

I head home with a bunch of tulips from the corner deli and feel like I’ve accomplished my goal. The serenity a garden provides is available , in small doses, in the Big Apple.

What does your neighborhood look like this spring?

Case in point… when I woke up this morning and began researching floral bouquets for a post I was working on for Valentine’s Day I discovered every bouquet I liked had a fashion reference….have I gone completely mad… or do you see it too?

Lavender cool water bouquet from Eco Bouquet and Prada

Assorted Tulips from Pro Flower and Louis Vuitton

100 blooms of Peruvian Lilies from Pro Flowers and Carolina Herrera

Valentine Roses by Jane Packer from 1-800-Flowers.com and Alexander McQueen

Big Hug bouquet from FTD.com and Badgley Mischka

Dendrobium Orchid from Telaflora and Balenciaga

fashion images from Style.com

Today, there are a dozen bright red tulips bowing to meet my glance whenever I look up from my writing. Tulips are one of my favorites because something about them instantly puts a smile on my face.

Everyone has their favorites, but the color of the flowers may have more of an effect on your mood than the type.

Chromotherapy is a solid science; “Light therapists say light is a nutrient to the body, just as food is, and that humans need light in different intensities and color ranges to regulate their biological clocks.”

Yellow is the best color to send if you want to brighten someone’s mood.

Find out what floral color scheme might create just the right mood…

There is nothing like hyacinths for a burst of color and sweet fragrance to chase away the memories of winter and make room for fresh thoughts of spring.

Masses of star-faced bells come in a range of colors including deep purple, red, pink, orange, white, and many more beautiful colors.

Dutch hyacinths are the most popular. Put a few in pots near your patio door or at nose level on a wall or deck and enjoy not only the color, but also the scent, every time you pass them.

One savvy couple from Washington state bet that brown plants and flowers would catch on.

Marie and Bill of the Chocolate Flower Farm combined Bill’s love of chocolate with Marie’s love of gardening to develop a unique niche in the world of gardening with their unusual chocolate brown flowers.

Other flower fanciers have also found brown intriguing. An article in The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that “Plenty of chocolate cravings were aroused at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, London’s influential showcase of landscape design and plant trends.

One of the most popular gardens was the bronze medal-winning Roald Dahl Foundation Chocolate Garden, inspired by Dahl’s classic book (and upcoming movie) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Like the black plant craze ignited by Karen Platt of England a few years back, rich brown plants are capturing the fancy of flower connoisseurs everywhere and growers are beginning to make dark chocolate flowers and plants available to florists.

Dark flowers add drama to a garden or floral arrangement. Combine that with the appeal of chocolate and who can resist these unusual blooms?

Of course, getting the plants to the deck and planting them can be a bit of a chore.

So even though I enjoy the results, sometimes I need a bit of motivation to get me started and having a few fun tools to use is just the boost I need to get going.

Pulling on a pair of orange polka dot gardening gloves from Hable Construction will make cultivating more enjoyable and more fashionable.

Grabbing an ergonomically designed soil scoop from CreateAGarden in a coordinated color will also do the trick. The patented spoon-shaped blade with a sharply pointed tip and serrated edges can dig holes, make furrows, weed, cut roots, even open soil bags.

Of course, what caught my attention first was the brightly colored grip material around the handle, but the unique design is what eventually sold me on this item.

If these tools don’t help you to find your own inspiration, you might want to just browse over to Hable Construction’s decorating section and select a dozen floral pillows to surround yourself with, instead. I promise, with these beauties, there is no digging or watering required.

Okay, just sharing about these neat gardening tools has gotten me in the mood to get started, so I’m off to the nursery.

Photos of pillows and gardening gloves from Hable Construction website.

Photo of garden scoop from CreateAGarden website.

Those massive domed clusters of florets that range in color from the most delicate pink to a deep blue make me happy simply by being in view.

Studying a hydrangea bloom can be very calming as you contemplate the subtle changes in hue. The interplay of color has been inspirational to me in developing color palettes, creating pastel drawings, and dyeing fabrics.

The play between the colors and light has moved artists to paint these gorgeous blossoms in every medium. I especially appreciate the way artist Cathy Schaefer has captured the beauty and essence of this plant in her painting titled Hydrangea III, shown above.

View the Art of Cathy Schaefer