pantone

Sometimes life calls for a little attitude. And you’ll definitely find it in “Tangerine Tango” – Pantone’s 2012 Color of the Year. This “spirited reddish-orange,” just dubbed the new “it” hue by global color authority Pantone, is sure to burn up any of the fog left over from a gloomy economy and – as Pantone says – “provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.”

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

So where can we find this color for our gardens? And how do we use it in the landscape to its fullest? Here are just a few ideas:

Tangerine Tango - Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year

“The reddish-orange blooms of this dark-foliaged canna certainly match Pantone’s “Tangerine Tango,” says Anthony Tesselaar, cofounder and president of Tesselaar Plants, developer of the colorfully foliaged Tropicanna cannas. “What’s more, the backdrop of black, broad leaves makes this color pop even more.”

Tropicanna Black canna bloom

Tesselaar suggests using this color in containers with subtle echoes of the same color: “Not too much with this fiery hue,” he says. “A little goes a long way.”

For example, Tesselaar suggests a hot-hued “thriller-filler-spiller combo,” with Tropicanna Black as the thriller, ornamental peppers as the filler and thread-leaved croton as the spiller:

On her North Coast Gardening blog, California garden designer Genevieve Schmidt suggests a more analogous color grouping: Tropicanna Black  (above) with other outrageous reds like Helianthemum (sunrose) ‘Henfield Brilliant’ and Clianthus puniceus ‘Red’:

Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant'

Clianthus punicea 'Red'

Another good plant featuring this fiery orange-red color is Bonfire begonias:

Just one will wake up a whole garden bed:

The orange in this red also makes it pop against a bright blue pot (since orange and blue are opposites on the color wheel):

So, what other plants bring this Pantone color  into the garden? Post a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear about some other color combos starring Tangerine Tango!

Well, the word is out – turquoise is the Pantone Color Research Institute’s 2010 Color of the Year.

“Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing,” read the Dec. 8, 2009 press release by Pantone, the global authority on color. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky.”

Well, that’s all warm and fuzzy, I thought - but not much help to us in the garden. There are precious few flowers that are blue – let alone turquoise (my first thought is the Himalayan blue poppy, and – unless you live in the Himalayas – trying to grow it is pretty much a lost cause).

But there are ways to incorporate this inviting, luminous hue into your home and garden. And what better time to start dreaming about how to infuse a little summer into your life than during winter, in front of the fire with a few mailorder gardening catalogs?

My first thought, of course, is containers. I’ve always loved seeing turquoise-blue ceramic pots in the landscape – it’s reminiscent of the swimming pools of summer and the waters of the Caribbean – a touch of vacation without having to pack. I’ve seen a lot of oversized turquoise planters used as water gardens, too. Makes sense, I suppose, since turquoise symbolizes water. But just from an aesthetic standpoint, turquoise just makes the perfect backdrop for floating circular lily pads, frilly-leafed rosettes of water lettuce and spade-shaped taro leaves.

A turquoise pot can also help enhance blue-green foliage (that’s what bonsai gardeners do). Just imagine a dwarf, blue hosta like ‘Blue Cadet’ or a spiky fescue like ‘Elijah Blue’ or even the popular dwarf ‘Blue Star’ juniper in one of these eye-popping planters.

Or, use turquoise planters with other colors to create a certain mood or effect. Jacci Howard Bear, who wrote about the color symbolism of turquoise and how to use it with other colors for About.com, says mixing the color with lavender and pale pinks will lend a feminine air. Bright turquoise and pink, she says, “create a sparkly clean, retro look.” Or, make it art deco by pairing turquoise with white and black. “Turquoise with gray or silver as well as terra cotta and light browns have a Southwestern (U.S.) flavor,” she says. “Turquoise with orange or yellow creates a fresh, sporty look.”