If you work in the fields of interior or graphic design, fashion, or homewares, tracking color trends is probably an integral part of your job. Color trends are also important in the horticultural sector. Plant breeders, wholesale growers, flower farmers, floral designers and garden center retailers are always eager to know which colors consumers will find most appealing.
One of the world's most respected authorities for color trends is the Pantone Color Institute. Pantone's color matching system has long been the global standard in the print and textile industries. Each year they select a palette of trending colors, and choose one “color of the year.” For 2022, that color is a deep shade of periwinkle blue that Pantone has named Very Peri. 
What Makes Very Peri Special
Pantone's color descriptions may get a little too creative for some, but here's what they have to say about this year's choice of Very Peri: “The Pantone Color of the Year reflects what is taking place in our global culture. It expresses what people are looking for, that color can hope to answer,” says Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. “Creating a new color for the first time in the history of our Pantone Color of the Year program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place. Society continues to recognize color as a critical form of communication. It's a way to express and affect ideas and emotions and engage and connect. The complexity of this new red-violet infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lay before us.” 
They continue... “We are living in transformative times. Very Peri is a symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through. As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our notions and standards are changing. Our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways. Very Peri illustrates the fusion of modern life and how color trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa.”
No matter how you feel about all that, purple is a wonderful color. Some people find that simply gazing at the color purple promotes feelings of inner peace and calm. Goodness knows we could all use a bit more of that.
Adding Very Peri to Your Flower Garden
While nature gives us few truly blue flowers, Very Peri is a color that straddles purple and blue. Fortunately, this means we have many more options. To help get your creative juices going, here are some flowers that are similar in color to Very Peri. All are available on our website for planting this spring. 
- Gladiolas Mante, Costa and Vista
- Brodiaea Queen Fabiola
- Clematis Ramona, Multi Blue, Diamantina and Crystal Fountain
- Phlox Blue Paradise
- Eryngium Blue Star
But don't stop there. Very Peri, and other variations of purple, can be used to elevate your garden in so many exciting ways. To learn about using the color purple, including how to recognize warm and cool tones, complementary colors, and more, you may be interested in reading this article on our website: How to Use Purple in Your Flower Garden. While you won't find the following Very Peri flowers on our website, we encourage you to keep them in mind when you are shopping for plants this spring!
- Agapanthus Galaxy Blue
- Agastache Blue Boa
- Ajuga Blueberry Muffin
- Aster Bluebird
- Buddleia Buzz Sky Blue
- Centaurea montana
- Echinops Blue Glow
- Geranium Johnson’s Blue
- Hydrangea Twist-n-Shout
- Lavandula Big Time Blue
- Mertensia virginica
- Nepeta Purrsian Blue
- Perovskia Blue Steel
- Scabiosa Butterfly Blue
- Veronica Blue Skywalker
