Larry Hodgson has published thousands of articles and 65 books over the course of his career, in both French and English. His son, Mathieu, has made it his mission to make his father’s writings available to the public. This text was originally published in Le Soleil on October 22, 1994. Although I have serious doubts about the scientific basis of this article, who doesn’t love a good personality test?
Everyone has his or her favorite colors… and we know that the choice of these colors is indicative of your personality. These preferences are also evident in gardeners who use the colors that attract them most… and so reveal, without necessarily wanting to, their personality.
According to Leatrice Eiseman, a specialist in the effect of color on people at the Pantone Color Institute in New Jersey, the human brain is programmed from birth to associate colors with emotions.
Yellow, for example, stimulates cheerfulness and red tends to make the heart beat faster. On the other hand, the color/emotion association is not fixed: we can easily come to associate a color with any situation, because of a traumatic experience, for example. In most cases, however, humans associate the same colors with the same emotions… and it becomes possible to guess their personality by the color associations they choose.
Your Personality Type
What do the colors in your garden say about your personality? Here are some examples:
Your Garden Is Made Up of “Warm” Colors
Bright yellows, brilliant reds, intense purples. You like contrasts: the flowers you choose are often colorful. Some of your favorite flowers: blanket flowers, bicolored tulips, oriental poppies.
Analysis: You have a “type A” personality. You want to have everything… and right away. You live intensely, without wasting a minute. Your loved ones tell you that you work too hard… but you don’t listen to them, because you’re always right!
You Like Multicolored but Soft and Fresh Compositions
Pale blue, green, pink, lilac, often separated by white or pastel shades. You may use a few strong colors—yellow, red, etc.—in your garden.—but they are never placed side by side. Some favorite flowers: columbine, meadow rue, forget-me-not.
Analysis: You have a “type B personality”. You are quiet, peaceful, gentle. Your garden is a place of rest, a haven of peace and tranquility. You go there to get away from stress… and you like to lounge in your garden more than anything else. Use circles and curves in your design instead of squares and straight lines: you’ll be happier for it.
You Like Everything Pink, Peach, Mauve and Cherry
Your garden is a combination of colours that are quite similar, but with enough contrast to highlight each one. Some favorite flowers: rose, daisy, sweet pea.
Analysis: You are such a romantic! Anything to do with love blows your mind. Don’t forget to set up a little bench in a cozy corner of your yard where you can spend your summer reading romance novels and love poems!
Only Flowers in My Garden!
They blend happily together haphazardly, creating contrasts and harmonies. Your preference is for oranges, reds and yellows with a few touches of white to soften them. Some favourite flowers: cosmos, narcissus, rudbeckia.
Analysis: You are the typical socialite. You’d go out every night if the opportunity arose… and even at work, you’re most often found in a situation where human contact is important. You don’t like to be alone… and probably even share your passion for gardening with someone else.
Purple, Purple and More Purple
Your garden is full of it, with just enough white and pink to let the purple of your soul shine through. Some favorite flowers: lupine, aconite, clematis.
Analysis: You have the soul of a creator, an artist. Chances are, you work in the arts or on the stage… or dream of doing so!
Red, Yellow, Blue
Your garden is full of bright, primary colours. It’s a fairy tale of contrasting hues… and the bigger the flower, the better. Other people may find your garden a bit too bright… but you love it! Some of your favourite flowers: sunflowers, decorative cabbage, tulips.
Analysis: You’re 10 years old or younger… or you’re a child at heart, for your garden is that of a young mind. A little naive, full of energy and a little mischievous, you are easily impressed by what surrounds you. You look at life with surprise and satisfaction: each day brings you something completely new.red, yellow and blue flowers.
You Don’t Have a Garden and Don’t Particularly Like Flowers
You prefer apartment life, surrounded by concrete. If you are forced to garden, you choose dark colours – dark purple, almost black, sometimes with a little orange as a contrast. Some favorite flowers: weeds, poison ivy, black tulips, dead branches.
Analysis: You have serious personality problems. Your neighbors think you’re strange… and you think they’re nosey. There’s no point in prolonging this description, because you don’t read gardening blogs anyway!
Originally published in Le Soleil on October 22, 1994.