When I was studying Graphic Design at Arizona State University in the early 1980’s, I became familiar with the Pantone Color Chart. Similar to the way a paint store matches a specific color, selecting a Pantone number ensured my designs would print exactly as I intended. Fast forward over forty years and Pantone is back in my life – this time with their ‘color of the year.’ Starting 25 years ago, Pantone introduced a genius marketing strategy. Their ‘color of the year’ matches a selected hue to feelings of the time and influences decisions in packaging, interior design, and even my new industry – landscape design.
Pantone’s color for 2024 is called Peach Fuzz and the executives in charge produced an extensive marketing campaign and corresponding video. The campaign describes how the featured color “captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. Its velvety gentle peach tone and all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body and soul. Peach Fuzz reflects our innate yearning for closeness and connection. A color that radiates warmth and elegance, resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.” Wow is all I can say. That’s a lot of responsibility for a single color. That said, I’m in for adding a little Peach Fuzz to the garden and I have suggestions to keep your garden peachy all season long.
Let’s start with winter, where Pieris offers some peach tones with frosty blooms.
For early spring color introduce some daffodils to your garden beds. Brent and Becky’s and Qdaffs have nice options.
Remember that color includes leaves and not just flowers. Some woody plants are most impressive as they are leafing out.
Perennials that bring the color of the year into the garden include spring, summer and fall bloomers.
Annuals and tropical plants happily join the peach party too.
I hope you have your list together and are ready purchase some plants that highlight Pantone’s 2024 color. Since the warm tone of Peach Fuzz represents moments spent with friends and celebrates simple acts of kindness, I invite you to visit my garden and see all the ways I’ve introduced Pantone’s color into my landscape. I’ll even serve you some while you are here – a bundt cake filled with peaches and a little Peach Schnapps for added warmth! How’s that for warm and fuzzy?
For those who asked – here’s the recipe:
