For the first time since it began naming the Color of the Year in 2000, Pantone’s selection for 2016 Color of the Year is actually two colors — Serenity and Rose Quartz. The company’s website states the colors are “a harmonious pairing of inviting shades that embody a mindset of tranquility and inner peace. As consumers seek mindfulness and well-being as an antidote to the stress of modern day lives, welcoming colors that psychologically fulfill the yearning for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent.”

Rose Quartz flowers from top left corner clockwise — peonies, ranunculus, garden roses, stock, lisianthus, Sweet Avalanche roses, hydrangea and astilbe. Photo courtesy of Creative WeddingsThese two colors can often be found in nature, especially flowers like roses, orchids, carnations, peonies, delphinium, hydrangea, stock and astilbe. With a dual color combination, complementary colors are built right in for floral design inspirations. This combination also works easily with other mid-tones, including cooler greens and purples, rich browns, silver and all shades of yellow and pink, along with all finishes —matte, metallic and glossy.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at the Pantone Color Institute, stated on the company’s website, “With the whole greater than its individual parts, joined together Serenity and Rose Quartz demonstrates an inherent balance between a warmer, embracing rose tone and the cooler, tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.”

According to Greenhouse Grower magazine, a number of plant breeders are featuring varieties that reflect Pantone’s Colors of the Year, such as:

• Agapanthus Baby Pete

• Baptisia Decadence Pink Truffles

• Delphinium Planet Series

• Petunia Headliner Sky Blue

• Hydrangea Everlasting Series and Endless Summer Bloomstruck

• Lobelia Early Springs Sky Blue

• Impatiens Bounce Lilac and SunPatiens Spreading

• Angelonia Archangel Light Pink

• Magnolia Centennial Blush Star

• Heracleum Pink Cloud

• Hibiscus Blushing Bride and Blue Chiffon

However, floral industry consultant, designer and educator Rene van Rems, told The Produce News that in the trenches the Pantone Color of the Year doesn’t make that much difference at the sell-through level.

“Two years ago, when H.E.B. and Wegmans really jumped on the Radiant Orchid Color of the Year, it did not make a difference at retail. To me, the Color of the Year is a great marketing tool as a general direction,” said van Rems. “The good thing is that these [2016] colors are big in the female world and cover a variety of suitability in lifestyle interiors. Think of ‘Spa,’ ‘English Country,’ and tranquility-based interiors and outdoor living styles.”