The art of choosing plants comes naturally to Linda Guy, director of new product development for Novalis Plants that Work and Plants that Work by Color. Guy travels the world seeking the hardiest “plants that work” to introduce to U.S. landscapers and gardeners. As co-owner of Carolina Nurseries, the founding business of the Novalis grower consortium, Guy has the opportunity to search for new plants on a worldwide scale and bring them home for trialing. She says she’s “hooked” on the relationship between plants and people and believes it’s the common love of the natural world that brings people together. The Charleston, South Carolina-based plant expert discussed the latest plant colors and trends with Total Landscape Care.
TLC: Do you think the trend of choosing plants by color will continue?
LG: Yes. Clothing, furniture, paint and even produce are often selected based on color preferences. Homeowners like to surround themselves with their favorite colors, choosing hues that coordinate with their home décor. Customers will continue to be strongly influenced by color options and color will continue to drive plant and landscape decisions for property managers and landscape contractors.
TLC: What are the hot landscape colors for fall/winter 2008?
LG: Autumn hues such as oranges, reds and yellows are popular in both perennial and shrub lines. Oranges seen in the flowers of Gaillardias ‘Tizzy’ and ‘Frenzy,’ the berries of Hypericum ‘Mystical’ Orange and the autumn foliage of Acer ‘Ryusen’ Japanese Maple are very popular now and are found in the Novalis Plants that Work by Color line. In addition, hot-reds and yellows with pearl tones and shades of pink and ruby continue to grow in popularity with some in-style options such as Hydrangea ‘Color Fantasy,’ Hydrangea ‘Bits of Lace,’ Nemesia Bedazzle ‘Rose Quartz’ and the Phlox Candy Store series with varieties such as ‘Bubblegum Pink’ and ‘Coral Cr
