Wanna be trendy? Go with honeysuckle pink

Pantone, the color people who every year name a  "color of the year" and strike up a frenzy as home furnishing companies and fashionistas scramble to produce wares that will be gobbled up by a trend-hungry public, has proclaimed 2011 the year of "Pantone 18-2120." In layman's terms, that's honeysuckle (the color, not the plant). 

In selecting the color, Pantone cited that "energizing honeysuckle lifts spirits and imparts confidence to meet life's ongoing challenges." I do like the color, though I'm not sure it helps me meet my llfe's challenges. Still, you're sure to see throw pillows and curtains and maybe even tank tops and dresses in the pretty pink hue this spring, but don't get excited about adding new plants to your garden.

"Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble," the folks at Proven Winners tell me, "but it takes a minimum of 10 years to go from thinking that we would want flowers of a popular color to actually having plants on the market. And 10 years is if everything goes smoothly!"

In other words, plants can't be created as quickly as miniskirt fabric can be dyed. But if you're set on being cutting edge, you can plant these Proven Winners honeysuckle-ish-colored plants this spring (no one needs to know they've been around for awhile): Supertunia Bermuda Beach, Karalee Petite Pink, Infinity Blushing Crimson, Intensia Neon Pink and Babylon Deep Pink. Meanwhile, although these new 2011 varieties have colors that could pass for honeysuckle, their introduction this year is purely coincidental: Angelface Pink Angelonia (pictured), Madly Magenta, Superbells Strawberry Punch and Supertunia Sangria Charm.