A Unanimous Pruning Resource
I featured a subscriber's question about how to prune perennials in the last newsletter and ask if you knew of any resources. Several of you replied, and the answer was unanimous.
By unanimous referrals, the best resource for pruning perennials is The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust. It was originally published in 1998 and was revised and expanded in 2006 and again most recently in 2017. Here’s how the submitters described the book:
- "… a good reference for pruning."
- "The best resource is an old one but still the best there is. Tracy DiSabato-Aust wrote The Well-Tended Perennial Garden in 1998, but the pruning information is all excellent."
- "Tracy's focus is on plants in the garden. The book gives species by species maintenance and pruning techniques, gleaned from personal experience and interviews."
Pantone’s Color of the Year
The Pantone Color Institute, which has become a color authority with identifying trendy colors consumers will crave each year, recently announced Mocha Mousse (17-1230) as its 2025 Color of the Year.
Pantone calls it “a warming brown imbued with an inherent richness that nurtures with its suggestion of the delectable quality of cacao, chocolate and coffee, appealing to our desire for comfort.”
As with previous Pantone Color of the Year selections, expect Mocha Mousse to transcend across many facets of our lives. You’ll likely see Mocha Mousse being widely used in fashion, interior design, outdoor living products and even in landscape plants.
Click
HERE to learn more about Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse.
Pantone Flowering Perennials
From a plant perspective, Mocha Mousse gives us less to work with compared to many of the previous, more colorful, selections. As you already know, there aren’t many brown flowering perennials out there. But let’s look at a few of the options we do have:
Baptisia Cinnamon Candles (Plant Delights Nursery)
Echibeckia Summerina Pumpernickel (Pacific Plug and Liner)
Iris germanica Sun Devil - Brown falls
Rudbeckia Gold Blitz (Kieft Seeds) - Brown center discs
Echinacea Dark Shadows Mystic (Terra Nova Nurseries) - Brown cones
Pantone Foliage Perennials
Here are several perennials with foliage that could be marketed around Pantone’s Mocha Mousse selection:
Carex Zora (Benary)
Heucherella Fun and Games Hopscotch (Proven Winners)
Sedum Mocha Magic (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Winter Garden Tour
I believe the appearance and beauty many plants bring to the winter landscape is often overlooked and underappreciated. My friends at Terra Nova Nursery in Tigard, Oregon, recently put together a brief
two-minute video titled Winter Garden Tour 2024 showcasing many stunning visuals of perennials in the winter landscape.
I invite you to take a couple minutes of your time to enjoy the wintertime beauty perennials offer.
My email is paul@opelgrowers.com if you have any comments, article suggestions or if you'd just like to say hello.
Best regards,
Paul Pilon
Editor-at-Large—Perennial Pulse
Director of Growing—Opel Growers
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