Make No Assumptions. It’s Greenery For The Win.

/ Ally Bean

AS A WAY OF adding some color into our lives during this mid-winter gray time of year, I went to Lowes this week where I bought some little houseplants in little plastic pots.

I’m not a full on hippy dippy plant lady yet, so fear not. But I could be headed that way.  [And really, would that be such a terrible thing?]

While transplanting each plant into a proper terra-cotta pot, it drifted into my addled mind that Pantone’s Color of the Year 2017 is Greenery.

I also remembered that when I first saw this color in early December I wasn’t taken with it, thinking that this particular shade of yellowish-green was almost garish.  A color I’d never want to see in my house. 

Was. not. a. fan. and. said. so.

But you know what?  I was wrong in my snap judgement.

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“Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew.” via Pantone

I HAD TO ADMIT this to myself as I placed the new houseplants around the house– and realized that they were exactly Greenery green.  And as such, they blended beautifully with our neutral color scheme of khaki golds + creamy whites + warm grays.

In fact, the new houseplants added much-needed splashes of spring-y color everywhere, proving to be an amazingly easy, cost-effective way of lifting my winter spirits.

So the moral of this little story is that when it comes to unfamiliar colors reserve your judgment until you’ve given the new color a chance to dazzle you.

For all you know the new color might be the perfect thing ever to grace your life… on a gray winter day.

49 thoughts on “Make No Assumptions. It’s Greenery For The Win.”

  1. I like this colour and I have quite a bit of it in my closet. Glad it’s now ‘in style’ 🙂

    I’m going to resist the greenery though … I have a notorious brown thumb. It’s just all so depressing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joanne, after I placed the plants around the house I realized that our tea kettle is greenery green and that the stylish storage boxes in the home office are greenery green. So obviously I like this color. Don’t know why I was so against it to begin with.

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        • It’s very cheerful, I agree. I think I didn’t like it when I first saw it because it was Christmastime, and this greenery green looked weird to me around all the holiday red + green. Enjoy your shopping trip!

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    • Deb, yes, I don’t like that neon slime green either. But this green color is great, now that I see it in action. Honestly I can’t explain why I initially thought it was icky. I usually love color.

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  5. There is almost no color in nature that doesn’t hold appeal for me ~ greenery green included. That said, there are MANY colors that I enjoy as accents here and there that would make me nauseous if covering an entire wall. 😀

    Plants are happy accents. Here’s to the new hippy dippy you!

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    • nancy, I like lots of colors and have even gone so far as to say that I decorate each room in the house based on a specific season. That is, our TV room is Winter, our Master Bedroom is Fall, our LR is summer– and so on. But for some reason when I saw Greenery green I didn’t like it. I was wrong. I know that now.

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  6. As I look out into my garden there’s plenty greenery green of that colour – in fact it’s the dominant colour – what does that mean I wonder? Even the grass is that shade .. think I’m seeing too much into this? But how lovely to have this in amongst all those lovely other shades in your home – a spot of orange would look great too!

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    • Susan, in mid-spring we have natural Greenery green around us, much like the way you describe your garden. But at this time of year it can be bleak outside, so this Greenery green has given me hope. I agree in principle about the orange, but prefer copper or terra-cotta to straight out orange. They’re all cousins of orange, so it’s good! 🙂

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      • Oooops I’d forgotten how dry/barren/bleak grass plants and gardens can look in the middle of winter. Ours is still a way away and I remember how lovely it is to bring colour into the house and how uplifting it is!

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        • The thing is that I like seeing Mother Nature in her less showy months, but inside the house, some days, I need to add a bit of color to keep my spirits high. And Greenery sure did that.

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  7. The most amazing “Greenery Green” type color I ever saw was in 1969 while driving early one morning from Cam Ran to Nha Trang in Viet Nam. The road followed a valley for much of the route with rice paddies covering the valley floor. It was early Spring and the new rice catching the dawn light glowed an almost psychedelic version of that color.

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    • bobcabkings, what a cool memory of a color. I don’t know that my little houseplants will ever rise to the level of intense green that you saw, but I can keep the hope alive. Thanks for sharing your most Greenery green experience.

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  8. I used to go in for lots of houseplants, but lost my Green Thumb somehow. They do add a nice atmosphere to a room if you have the knack.

    Keep us posted on your new Green Tribe. And any additions you decide to bring in. Sometimes it becomes a bit of a hobby. (You’ve been warned.)

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    • nance, I have a few plants around already, but now I feel more committed to the idea of indoor greenery. I take your point about how this could become a hobby gone wild. Will attempt to control myself. 😉

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  9. I like it 🙂 I always like the greens. I don’t have that much green in my house now, but three houses ago, our open concept home was painted a fresh green in three whole rooms, and we both loved it. Now, green is more an accent here and there, and plants are the perfect way to add some color and life to any room 🙂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying yours!

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  10. I am not a plant person either, although I do have a really cool story about a tiny plant that my hubby gave to me when we were first dating. He said, “As this plant grows, so will our love grow.” Very sweet but tons of pressure on that poor plant (and me since it was in my care) if it did not thrive. Long story short, the plant grew and we had to repot it several times and even split it up into several pots at one point. Sadly, it died when we moved into our new house but by that time we had been married for 12 years and had three kids so I think we were safe from the curse. I do love the greenery green that Pantene chose. I had forgotten to look for that this year! I’m sure you’ll do well with your plants!

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    • Janet, I like the look of houseplants and even had a few before these latest additions. I neglect the ones I have, so these new ones are going to have to show some gumption and grow mostly unattended.

      I like your story about true love and the pressure of preserving it. You did great. 12 years is a long time to keep a potted plant alive.

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  11. I can see why you might have been hesitant. It’s such a bold color that it could easily feel overpowering if it covered your walls from floor to ceiling, but it offers just the right sort of punch as an accent color.

    Had to laugh about the hippy-dippy part. I have an ivy plant that grows in spite of me as well as a jade tree that could give Bruce a run for his money for the title of Die Hard. Apparently, I am biased against house plants preferring to put all my attention toward my garden plants instead.

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    • Allie P, you’ve nailed it. When I first saw Greenery I thought it’d be way too intense, but I didn’t factor in the neutrals, which keep it from being too. much. green.

      I’d like to have a jade tree. I remember trying to grow one when I was in college, but it died. I think that I’ll be a better houseplant mama now that I’m more grown-up, or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. 😉

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  13. While that color would look hideous on me as an item of clothing, I do like it in my garden. I have a succulent (aeonium arboreum) that has bright green in the center surrounded by dark purple leaves. Mother Nature can get away with color combinations most of us wouldn’t consider for ourselves.

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    • Janis, I’m not sure that I’d want to wear that color either. But as a house plant it’s pretty– and I’m sorry I was so slow to realize that. I agree about Mother Nature. Her color palette is always unique, which is why I like gardens.

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  14. Yes, I have been shocked at some colors that go together. I kill house plants though! I am a huge fan of warm gray. It’s the color of my bedroom and it’s like a sanctuary.

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    • Margaret, I can grow houseplants so I’m glad that I liked this particular shade of green once I got the plants home. I’m with you about warm gray, it’s my current favorite neutral– so easy to live with. Relaxing on the eyes.

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  17. Just don’t let them put that color on kitchen appliances …far too close to that avocado and gold era (shiver)
    Works great in small doses with the right color pallet
    All but 2 of my indoor plants are now outdoor plants…the begged for years and when we moved, I said “patio or flowerbed?” Most have been quite happy except for that willful pencil plant…(but I have a back-up in a pot). I’ve found previously ignored/disliked white and green striped plants do brighten up a dull spot outside
    It may be warmer here, but the fog and grey skies make it dreary

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    • philmouse, I can’t even think about how ugly it’d be to have Greenery green kitchen cabinets. Shudder the thought! I was pleasantly surprised by how cheery the new houseplants looked once I got them by the windows. Gloomy days are gloomy days regardless of the temps. I hear ‘ya.

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  18. Green never ever used to be a preferred color for the home until I painted an accent wall greem in my former apartment. I loved it! So, yes, keep an open mind. Sometimes all it takes is a few green plants or red throw pillows on the couch to make a difference.

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