Most of us won’t be back in the garden for a few months yet, but now is the time to be ordering seeds, bulbs, and plants. As you’re doing so, here’s something to remember: COLOR IS IN. Understanding color trends is critical when you’re in the gardening business, and we count on experts like Debra Prinzing, founder of the Slow Flowers Society, to keep us in the know. Her organization’s members include gardeners and DIY designers, professional florists, flower farmers, and suppliers. Their goal is to make local, seasonal, and sustainable cut flowers available to everyone. 
Honey Rose Dahlia Collection Earlier this month, we spoke with Debra and her publishing partner Robin Avni of BLOOM imprint about the color trends they are seeing. “Last year, given supply chain issues and persistent flower shortages, we were encouraging floral designers and flower farmers to expand their color palettes and incorporate other hues into their growing plans and design practices,” she said. “We are thrilled to see that for 2023, the color experts, gurus, and sages who advise on trending colors are recommending the same thing. This year’s color palettes run from one end of the spectrum to the other.” Pastels and soft, creamy colors have long dominated the flower market. Now they are giving way to richer, more saturated hues. What is driving this shift?
Color Makes a Comeback
When the world around us is gray and troubled, it's easy to understand the appeal of color. Debra and Robin noted that brighter, more saturated colors are showing up in interior design, clothing, and home goods, as well as in flowers. “We are seeing lots of deeper color values being used in interiors. Even the iconic British paint and wallpaper company Farrow & Ball has added 11 new warm and saturated paint colors. We especially like their orangey-red color “Bamboozle!” 
The color experts at Pantone seem to agree. Though no strangers to bold color choices, this year they turned it up a notch by declaring Viva Magenta the 2023 Color of the Year. They say this intense magenta hue "is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration....” While this color may be rooted in nature, Pantone also tells us it was generated by using Artificial Intelligence (AI). This may explain its techy, chromatic glow. 
Social Trends Impact Color Trends
The pandemic forced us to discover new ways of thinking and being in the world. Fortunately, there was no lack of inspiration. In an explosion of social media content, influencers began delivering images and ideas faster than we could absorb them. We find ourselves in a colorful mash-up of concepts, cultures, and creativity. 
When it seems like anything goes, trends are less relevant. Design is more about discovering what you love and what works for you. As Debra and Robin explain, “individuals want to be their own creative director, whether planning for a special event, decorating their home or planting their garden. Case in point is wedding flowers. Gone are the days when every bride wanted cream-colored roses and Café au Lait dahlias.” Farmer-florist Kate Watters of Wild Heart Farm in Rimrock Arizona says, "this past spring, I had a bride who requested a mostly monochromatic bouquet with only dark red and purple flowers." 
Color Predictions from the Slow Flowers Society
Slow Flowers has collaborated with its publishing partner BLOOM Imprint to publish the 2023 Slow Flowers Floral Insights and Industry Forecast. This annual report helps Slow Flowers members respond to cultural shifts, business changes, and breakout ideas that influence flower farming, floral design, and consumer attitudes about flowers. The report brings together a full year of intelligence gathering, hundreds of magazine and podcast interviews, and an annual Slow Flowers member survey. Debra Prinzing also draws on wide-ranging conversations with florists, growers, experts, influencers, makers, and educators. Their findings will be published during February on slowflowersjournal.com. You can listen to a podcast on this topic HERE. See below for a sneak peek at the color rankings that will appear in the report. 
2023 Slow Flowers Society Color Predictions
27% Warm and Saturated (Moving to the top from second place last year) 22.5% Mixed Medley (Moving up from third last year) 18% Organic Neutrals (Dropped to third from the top of last year's list) 7.5% Bright Pastels 7.5% Cool and Vibrant 6% Muddy and Sultry 1.5% White and Blush (Dropped to the bottom) 10% (Did not specify) What new flowers will you be adding to your garden this spring? Longfield Gardens makes it easy to shop by color for summer-blooming bulbs such as dahlias, glads and lilies. You can also shop by color for perennials, including peonies, clematis and daylilies.
