Each year the Pantone Color Institute selects a color as a trendsetting concept for branding, marketing, and people who work in the creative field. The color is intended to be used for consumer products and designs. This year the color is “Very Peri.” It is a periwinkle blue with violet-red undertones and is a wonderful color to use in our gardens. The color is meant to encourage creativity and imaginative expression. It is the first time the institute created a brand-new color.
This color with its blue and violet-red undertones would make a great addition as it can add a calming or soothing influence in the garden. Blues represent intelligence, tranquility, and serenity. In the garden, blue flowers look beautiful because their bluish tone is a sharp contrast and look fantastic in a sea of green plants.
Here are six plants we think would look great in a “Very Peri” garden:
Periwinkle – We would be remiss if we did not mention Periwinkle or Vinca minor. This tough, low-maintenance perennial is known for being a wonderful groundcover due to its great creeping habit. The periwinkle flowers bloom in the spring. It typically grows 3 to 6 inches high and eighteen inches long. This plant needs well-draining soil. Periwinkle grows in an array of conditions. It can be grown in partial sun, partial shade, and full shade. It tolerates deep shade conditions but be careful with direct sunlight as it can burn the plant. For best results, plant them in partial shade.
Catharanthus Soiree Blueberry Kiss – Catharanthus Soiree Blueberry Kiss will light up any garden with its amazing flower coverage and vivid eye-drawing colors with deep glossy green foliage. Catharanthus Periwinkle is a tender perennial and can also be grown as a houseplant. It is frequently grown as an annual because it is not cold hardy. Catharanthus blooms tirelessly from May to October. Plant it in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. It prefers acidic soil but will tolerate other soil types, as long as there is good drainage.
Pericallis Senetti Magic Salmon – Pericallis come in many bright colors and the Magic Salmon would be great in a very peri garden. These flowers are wonderful in a container or a flower border. They are daisy-like and thrive in the cool weather. When the summer comes the flower show stops. The plant is an annual but can be a tender perennial in areas where summer is cool and moist. This plant is easy to grow in full or partial sun.
Catmint (nepeta) – Catmint is a perennial herb with a delicate, sweet fragrance. The plant produces lavender-blue flowers which bloom in early summer and repeatedly bloom throughout the season. When it flowers, it brings butterflies and other pollinators to your garden. You can grow this plant in partial shade or full sun as long as the soil has good drainage. The plant needs moist soil but will not tolerate standing water. It can be grown from seeds or cuttings and prefers average garden soil with some organic matter.
False Indigo - False Indigo is a Native American perennial flower and is also known as Baptisia australis. This beautiful low-maintenance flower does best in well-drained soil in hardiness zones 5-9. Native Americans and early European settlers once used this flower to dye cloth. The pretty pea-like blossoms bloom from late spring through early summer. The plant needs 6 hours of sun, or it will get floppy. If you do not deadhead the flowers, you will see seed pods that look like pea pods.
Diamantina Clematis – An early-flowering clematis produces double flowers up to six inches wide. The lavender-blue flowers bloom prolifically early in the season, repeating modestly in summer and fall. It can be grown in containers or trained to grow on an arbor, fence, or trellis. This vine likes at least 6 hours of sun. Some varieties are adapted to partial shade and all benefit from afternoon shade in the South. Clematis is at its best in rich soils with good drainage. It prefers a neutral soil, so check the pH and add lime if needed. Hardiness zones 4-11.
What is your favorite flower to add to a “Very Peri” garden?
Select photos courtesy of Suntory Flowers.
