Color is Back.

After the last couple of years of subdued colors, I'm thrilled to see the reemergence of bold, beautiful color.  2009 color trends are all about the yellow, lime, orange, rose and violet tones.  Color awakens our visual senses.  Behavioral science researchers have found that we can use color to positively affect our blood pressure, stress, energy level and even our ability to get a good night’s sleep.

So let's wake up our hanging baskets, containers and flowerbeds this spring with the bold, brilliant color that can only be found in seasonal annuals.  This year we've grown over a hundred different premium annuals.  Premium annuals are annuals that have to be grown from a cutting versus from seed.  This labor of love is so that you can have your pick of color, shape and style that makes you feel excited about planting. 

Planting premium annuals always look best if you combine 2 or more plant choices.  You can mix and match, choosing blooms and foliage that are all of similar color to create a monocromatic look.  The trend now is to use colors that are in the same hues, like violet with rose, or orange with yellow. 

To make these colors pop you may want to pick one subtle contrasting color.  You don’t want this color to stand out, you just want it to enhance your other colors.  My favorite "enhancing" plants are any white Bacopa, or the Marguerite (Lime) and Blackie Sweet Potato Vine. 

Once you start looking at all of your color options with the over 100 premium annual varieties we've grown, you'll realize the combinations are endless. 

Here are some combinations we came up with to show you how much fun a little mixing and matching can be to find the color inspiration.