It’s official. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2022 is periwinkle. They are choosing to call is Very Peri but it’s really the same soft blue with a touch of red or violet. Its name is derived from the myrtle herb (vinca minor) which bears flowers of the same color. It’s a coveted color for plants in the garden.

Pantone avoided controversy this year in choosing periwinkle. In 2019 they chose Living Coral as their Color of the Year but this choice was criticizes because healthy living coral is in short supply, So in 2020 they went with Classic Blue. For 2021 the Pantone Color of the Year was a warm grey and a warm soft yellow. All good choices for the garden.

This year’s color is an easy one to include in the garden. Many of our favorite flowers are blue, lavender or periwinkle. Vinca minor is one of the more common ground covers that have periwinkle colored flowers. Some roses are of the same shade. Wisteria, pansies and omphaloides are other plants with lovely periwinkle colored flowers. Hydrageas often are this same shade depending on the acidity of the soil. Delphiniums and some hardy geraniums also bear flowers of periwinkle.

Warm colors tend to be more stimulating, dynamic and noticeable from afar than cool hues which are more calming and understated. Warm colors advance visually, cool ones recede. So to make a small garden appear larger use cool blues and lavenders in the back with just a touch of scarlet, orange or yellow up close for contrast. Do the opposite to make a large space more intimate – position warm colors at the back, cool colors in front.

Garden colors aren’t static either. They vary with time of day, the season, the weather and the distance from which we view them. Also color perception varies among people and not all people with normal vision see color the same way. Since color and light are inseparable, white, yellow and pastels seem more vivid in low light. In overcast or fog, soft colors like pink, creamy yellow, pale blue and lavender come alive. As night approaches and the earth is bathed in blues and violets, those colors are the first to fade from view.

Have fun with color. don’t be afraid to try new combinations. I often hear people say “I like all the colors except orange”. Orange naturally combines with blue as these ‘sunset’ colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. Think how nice bright orange California poppies look with blue marguerites or peach Iceland poppies with blue violas.

Foliage is a rich source or garden color. You can find plants with yellow, red, purple, blue or gray foliage as well as shades of green with variegated, marbled or streaked leaves.

Plants grow and gardens change over time. Realize that you’re embarking on a journey that may take many years. Don’t be afraid to play with color even if you don’t get it right the first time. Just learn from your mistakes and make adjustments. And have fun getting there.