We’re yearning for some colour in our lives it seems as there’s a growing movement towards brighter colours in planting design. In line with this trend, Pantone has chosen Viva Magenta as their 2023 Color of the Year. The reddish-purple hue 'vibrates with vim and vigour,' say Pantone.
It's a bold colour, but when used thoughtfully can add a sumptuous depth and exuberance to planting. It provides rich accent when combined with pastel blues, pinks and purples, or can be used with other hot colours to create vibrancy. Surround your statement pinky-red flowers with plenty of complementary greens – both lush dark greens and zingy acids.
For spring colour, Erysimum ‘Red Jep’ is a spectacular perennial wallflower with petals in a shades of purple, orange and red. Team it with deep purple, bright pink or orange tulips along with lime green euphorbias. In early summer try some delicious deep reddy-pink peonies, such as Paeonia lactiflora ‘Sword Dance’ or P. ‘Buckeye Bell’ which are lovely with soft blue nepeta.
For high summer, Astrantia 'Claret' has gorgeous star-shaped, ruby flowers that look dramatic with dark purple Salvia nemerosa ‘Caradonna’. Monarda varieties such as ‘Fireball’ also lift soft summer pastels and pelargoniums come in luscious hot pinky reds, including Pelargonium ‘Choun cho’ and P. 'Global Merlot'. And let’s not forget rich, velvety roses such as R. ‘Falstaff' with its large dark crimson blooms, magenta red R. ‘Tuscany’ and R.’ Pure Poetry’. And give walls and fences the wow factor with red-hued passionflowers such as Passiflora ‘Lady Margaret,’ or P. alata.
For late summer Penstemon ‘Rich Ruby’ or Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ provide vibrancy and sit well with echinacea and helenium. And dahlias such as dark ‘Tamburo’ will keep the warmth going into autumn.
Finally, Hamamelis × intermedia 'Diane’ with clusters of sweetly scented, deep-red flowers on bare twigs will wow you with winter colour and scent.
