Pantone’s color of the year has been annually announced for over 20 years. Each year, it gains popularity among the public yet mostly influences Designers of all kinds. We take the color of the year into consideration when it sparks our creativity for new color combinations in the garden.
2021 Colors of the Year
This year’s selected color is actually a pairing of two independent colors, “Ultimate Gray” and “Illuminating”, a warm, vibrant yellow. Pantone says, “It is a story of color that encapsulates deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the promise of something sunny and friendly.”
“Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.”
– Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.
The union of the practical, rock-solid grey with yellow works beautifully in the landscape.
Consider hardscapes of patios, retaining walls, and rock walls in warm shades of grey. The yellow blossoms and gold-toned foliage of your favorite plants are in striking contrast against those greys and brighten those spots with light. Let’s explore a few of our favorite examples.
Trees and Evergreens
Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’ is a lovely deciduous tree with a striking foliage, season after season. Emerging golden-orange with pink edges in early spring, the delicate foliage matures to bright green in summer before turning brilliant shades of orange and yellow in fall.
Golden Euonymus is an evergreen shrub with brightly variegated oval-shaped foliage with green leaves that are edged with golden-yellow. This useful plant can be used as an accent or hedge, and can readily be shaped to a desired height and shape.
Perennials
Yellow flowering perennials are numerous: tulips, daylily, rudbeckia, coneflower, daisies. The lesser-known Sneezeweed is popular with our designers. Common sneezeweed is a perennial plant in the daisy or aster family (Asteraceae). Its abundant yellow blooms can be found in late summer to fall, often used in pollinator gardens.
Japanese Forest Grass is a graceful, colorful grass for shady areas. The leaves billow in the slightest breeze adding movement to the garden. Great in containers or color accent in borders. This is a grass that does well in the shade and deer resistant.
Annuals
Think of sunny yellow sunflowers, poppies, nasturtium, marigolds and pansies. Also consider the lesser-known Canary Creeper, an edible vine.
We are proud to have been trusted by Michigan homeowners for over 38 years. To learn more about our professional landscaping services, click here. To view our portfolio of custom landscape design projects, visit this link. And please, don’t be shy to get in touch to learn more about our custom landscape design and build services. We would love to help you create your own little piece of paradise in Michigan.
