Orchid Flower is the color of the year for 2022 and The Garden Guy is beyond thrilled. I know the color of the year is mainly geared toward fashion and interior design, but WGSN (formerly Worth Global Style Network) and their color systems company, Coloro, believe this will cross all segments of life. But did they think about gardening, too?
WGSN is based out of London, but you’ll notice addresses globally. You definitely see their expertise and analytics are rippling across the United States. The Garden Guy is here to tell you: Put this color into your landscape and it will catch the visitor’s eye and thrill beyond expectations.
The description of Orchid Flower: “vibrant rose hue with purple undertones, it is intense and hyper-realistic, and stimulating.” Then they say: “Magenta is a color that conveys the feeling of positivity and escapism.” The positivity description is most certainly appropriate, as the color has royalty written all over it.
As The Garden Guy looked at the fashion images to see the intensity of color, plants started to come to mind. New this year in the market is a Lo & Behold Ruby Chip butterfly bush that matches Orchid Flower to perfection. This coming spring Unplugged Pink salvia makes its debut to the delight of hummingbirds everywhere. It could have easily been used in poster material for the promotion of the Orchid Flower color. Oddly, mine is still blooming in zone 8a.
Both Lo & Behold Ruby Chip and Unplugged Pink salvia are compact, in the 3-foot range with a 3-foot spread. While they are both to be treasured, they do have siblings that are larger and may be ideally suited if you have a large garden.
Rockin Fuchsia salvia came out in 2020, and they will always be part of my garden. Sometimes I think Rockin Fuchsia is darker in color than Unplugged Pink, and other times they’re almost identical. Rockin Fuchsia salvias have returned for three growing seasons in my zone 8a garden and easily reach 4 feet with an equal spread. Both the salvias, however, are considered perennial in zone 9 and warmer.
By all means, put Miss Molly butterfly bush on your list, too. This will be like the queen of the court for your Orchid Flower color planning. It will easily reach 5 feet in height and width and will take your breath away with its beauty. It is noninvasive and approved for sale to Oregon and Washington (albeit under the name of summer lilac). Why this is not at every garden center in the country is one of the great mysteries of life.
If you are wondering what colors to pair with it, WGSN included a palette suggestion that hit a home run. The palette includes Olive Oil, Butter, Mango Sorbet and Atlantic Blue. The Garden Guy feels pretty good on his selections not knowing the palette I chose as partners: Heat It Up Yellow gaillardia, Luscious Citron lantana, Rockin Blue Suede Shoes salvia and Pugster Blue buddleia.
The new year is always an exciting time with new plants, and you will see that color coordination in the landscape is as much fun as fashion and interior decorating. Make plans to use Orchid Flower and you’ll make the neighbors olive oil green with envy.
