Did you know that each year, Pantone selects a color of the year? Since 2000, the Pantone Color Institute has designated a color of the year based on trend forecasting across a variety of industries and markets, including fashion, travel and housing. For the first time ever, Pantone has selected 2 colors! For 2016, the color experts have chosen the blending of two shades—Rose Quartz (Pantone 13-1520) and Serenity (Pantone 15-3919)—as the color of the year.

Why blended shades? They say these two colors together provide an "inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue," something they say reflects a soothing sense of order and peace. Our worlds—both globally and locally—have become more unsure and unfamiliar, so these colors can provide some sense of solace, for sure.

Here's another take on these two colors, as voiced by Pantone's color experts: Rose and blue represent female and male, and the blending of the two represents a blurring of gender as it relates to fashion and a new unilateral approach to color.

I'm excited to see how these colors will play out in the garden world. Obviously many plants, like hydrangeas, bring these colors beautifully to the garden!

Photo from NurseryMag