Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Gardeners Soil |
| SKU | MQ2-54 |
| Hex | #5E5551 |
| RGB | 94, 85, 81 |
| HSL | 18°, 7%, 34% |
| LRV | 9 |
| Undertone | warm red tone |
| Family | Gray |
About Behr Gardeners Soil
At LRV 9, Gardeners Soil is about as dark as paint gets — it reads near-black on a wall and reveals its character only in direct daylight or under warm bulbs. Its red undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. In rooms with little natural light it can feel heavy, so reserve it for spaces you want to feel enveloping.
Gardeners Soil earns its keep as a statement: accent walls, a front door, cabinetry, a moody powder room, or exterior trim where you want sharp contrast. Grays like this read as a modern neutral and sit comfortably alongside both warm woods and cool metals.
Closest matches by brand
12 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all gray from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
Rodda
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Gardeners Soil within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #5E5551 in HSL space. Pair Gardeners Soil with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Behr Gardeners Soil Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Gardeners Soil from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Behr MQ2-54 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
At Sherwin-Williams, the closest color to Gardeners Soil is Prelude (SW 9620) — very close at ΔE 3.37, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Prelude swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Topeka Taupe (1463), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.51). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 9) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Gardeners Soil without repainting risk. See the full Topeka Taupe swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
At Valspar, the closest color to Gardeners Soil is Hunting Boots (1001-9A) — very close at ΔE 2.95, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9.4 vs 9) and carries a warm red undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Hunting Boots swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
PPG / Glidden's nearest match is Undercover (PPG0998-7), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.75). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a true neutral undertone, so it substitutes for Gardeners Soil without repainting risk. See the full Undercover swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
At Glidden, the closest color to Gardeners Soil is Undercover (PPG0998-7) — very close at ΔE 2.29, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Undercover swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Gardeners Soil is Black Russian (DE6391). At ΔE 0.79 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same warm red undertone and sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Black Russian and you'll get the same color. See the full Black Russian swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Gardeners Soil. The nearest is Terra Pin (0571) at ΔE 4.42 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Terra Pin swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
Hirshfield's's nearest match is Gargoyle (0550), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.51). It runs slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 9) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Gardeners Soil without repainting risk. See the full Gargoyle swatch →
Rodda Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
Rodda's nearest match is Caffe Americano (R036), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.44). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm red-orange undertone, so it substitutes for Gardeners Soil without repainting risk. See the full Caffe Americano swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
C2 Paint's nearest match is Chocolate Therapy (C2-806), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.22). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 10 vs 9) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Gardeners Soil without repainting risk. See the full Chocolate Therapy swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Gardeners Soil
Kompozit's nearest match is Gargoyle (0550), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.51). It sits at the same lightness (LRV 9 vs 9) and carries a warm red undertone, so it substitutes for Gardeners Soil without repainting risk. See the full Gargoyle swatch →