What is colour harmony in floral design?

Colour harmony in floral design refers to the planned relationships between colours in an arrangement, governed by their positions on the colour wheel. Colour schemes are classified into three groups: related schemes use colours that lie next to each other on the wheel; contrasting schemes use colours that lie generally opposite; balanced schemes use colours equally spaced around the wheel. Within these groups, nine specific harmonies are identified, ranging from the simplest to the most demanding: Monochromatic, Analogous, Direct Complementary, Split Complementary, Near Complementary, Triadic, Tetrad, Achromatic, and Polychromatic. Monochromatic harmony - tints, tones, and shades of a single hue - is the simplest form. Polychromatic harmony - many hues together - is the most demanding, as strong hues used at full chroma tend to cancel each other out and the effect becomes muddled. The appropriate colour scheme is a design decision, not merely an aesthetic preference. Sources: Pampling (100, 131).