The fields for describing the colors of leaves, flowers, bark, dyes, and other interest use either the Royal Horticultural Society�s color numbering system or common names.

First developed in 1966, the RHS system uses a set of �paint chips� each with a small hole in the center. The color strip is placed over the leaf or blossom and is matched by peering through the hole. In all there are 884 different colors arranged in four fans. Growers, registration authorities, and specialist organizations use these colors to precisely describe plants.

Note that the colors shown on your monitor are only approximations of the true RHS color.

The alternative to using RHS colors is to use the less precise, but much more imaginative system of common color names.  You can use the category view to define you own color names or you can use the basic or expanded set of names supplied with the software.