Pantone's 2011 Color of the Year - Honeysuckle - looks great in the garden

Well, it’s official – Honeysuckle is the color of the year for 2011, according to the Pantone Color Research Institute.

“Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world,” says Pantone of this festive reddish-pink. “Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing 'everyday' about it.

Well, before Calgon takes me away, I’d be curious to know how to incorporate this cheery color into my home or garden. At least I’d certainly rather use it there than wear it as a bridesmaid’s dress.

If you're looking to add this color to your garden, well, I suppose an actual honeysuckle bush would be a good place to start (see below). I think the coral-colored Flower Carpet^® roses growing on the side of my house are also the right hue, just a shade or two lighter.

 ^{Honeysuckle bush (image from the blog of Allan Becker, Garden Guru):}

^{Flower Carpet Coral:}

If you’re looking for annuals, you can also try the Fame™ Salmon Pink Petunia or Lascar™ Magenta verbena by Selecta. Perennials? Try Magellan Coral zinnia, Horizon Coral Spice geranium, Garden Spice Coral dianthus or Hollywood heuchera (for the dense-coral-colored blooms). Also check out Monrovia’s Amour hibiscus, Anna Rose Whitney rhododendron, Buttons N’ Bows or Glowing Embers hydrangea, Chickasaw crepe myrtle, Duc de Rohan azalea, Maxwell’s Cornish heath, Mesa Verde ice plant and Happy Ever Appster daylily.

^{Fame Salmon Pink Petunia:}

^{'Magellan Coral' Zinnia:}

Or, how ‘bout changing up the color of your containers with a little spray-painting of Honeysuckle? Rust-Oleum makes a great color called Gloss Berry Pink that’s the closest spray paint I can find to that color:

Well, that’s just about all the fashion I can take for one day. Gonna go stare at the mailbox and wait for my mail-order garden catalogs to come in (although I'm sure I'll be noting any "Honeysuckle" hues I find in them).