How Pantone’s New Color of the Year Will Shape Garden Palettes for 2026

Pantone has spoken, and their 2026 “Color of the Year” is sparking conversation everywhere, especially in the garden design world.

PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, a soft, billowy white, arrives at a moment when many are craving simplicity, calm, and a visual reset. According to the color-forecasting firm, after several years of overstimulation across digital and physical spaces, this shade serves as an exhale, a return to quiet, softness, and intentional design.

While social media reacted with everything from disbelief to delight (“Another white?!” “White is actually the absence of color!” and more), the choice reveals something important about where consumers are emotionally. White isn’t a blank slate; it’s a refuge. Cloud Dancer brings a grounding effect to gardens, landscapes, and outdoor living spaces.

And, yes, white gardens are back.

Let’s dig into what this means for garden palettes in the year ahead.

Why Cloud Dancer Works in the Garden

White has long held a special place in garden design. From moon gardens to contemporary minimalist landscapes, white blooms offer unmatched versatility. They reflect light, brighten shade, calm busy spaces, and blend effortlessly with any style. Cloud Dancer’s soft, almost velvety quality complements this beautifully.

1. A Return to Calm Design: Gardeners are embracing “quiet gardening,” a trend centered on simple plant palettes, layered textures, and calming tonal harmonies. Cloud Dancer naturally supports this movement. White blooms and cream-variegated foliage help simplify garden beds that may otherwise feel chaotic.
2. White Blooms Extend the Day: From traditional moon gardens to extending the day in the garden, white flowers glow in morning light and shimmer under evening skies. For homeowners spending more time outdoors at dusk, Cloud Dancer-inspired plants help gardens transition into night gardens without additional lighting.
3. A Perfect Backdrop for Soft Color: Pantone’s selection underscores the importance of softness. Even when color appears in 2026 landscapes, it’s gentle, never overwhelming. Cloud Dancer provides the canvas.

Plants That Capture Cloud Dancer in 2026

Across both gardens and patios, expect significant consumer demand for white blooms and cream-variegated foliage. Here are standout varieties shaping next year’s palette:

• White Wedding® Hydrangea – Large, cloudlike blooms on sturdy stems on these stunners from Southern Living Plant Collection
• Autumn Ivory® Encore® Azalea – Compact, reblooming, and perfect for containers
• Clouds of Glory Roses – Romantic climbers and hybrid teas that glow in moonlight gardens
• It’s a Breeze® Rose, Ivory Blush – Low-maintenance ivory and blush blooms all season from Southern Living Plant Collection
• Thai Constellation Monstera – Trendy, cream-variegated houseplant from Costa Farms for indoor houseplant collectors
• Cloud 10 rose – Full, creamy white blooms with a soft, cloudlike form on this climbing rose from Jackson & Perkins
• Clouds of Glory Rose – This hybrid tea from Jackson & Perkins glows with soft luminosity, bringing graceful form and beauty to the garden

• Pothos Albo – Striking, cream-variegated houseplant for beginners from Costa Farms

These varieties embody Cloud Dancer’s softness while complementing Pantone’s broader palettes.

Pantone’s “Powdered Pastels” Palette

Pantone didn’t stop with Cloud Dancer. They also released a companion palette, Powdered Pastels, a dreamy collection of muted, comforting tones that pair effortlessly with Cloud Dancer.

What’s remarkable is how closely this harmonizes with Garden Media Group’s 2026 Color of the Year: Faded Petal, part of the broader Kusumi palette of soft, grounded, almost weathered hues.

Faded Petal is a gentle, dusted pink—subtle, atmospheric, and emotionally expressive without overwhelming the senses. It mirrors the current desire for softness and serenity but goes a step further by infusing the palette with a touch of warmth and humanity.

Where Cloud Dancer brings clarity and quiet, Faded Petal introduces tenderness and optimism.

The Kusumi palette is built around washed, nostalgic tones—think sun-faded petals, foggy mornings, and the patina of well-loved gardens. These colors blur the boundary between natural and neutral, and they pair perfectly with Pantone’s Powdered Pastels.

Designers can use Cloud Dancer as the anchor and layer in Kusumi tones to build subtle gradients with blush, peach, dusty lavender, or misty green.

A Calming Direction for 2026

Pantone’s Cloud Dancer captures more than a moment; it captures a mood. Homeowners are seeking restorative outdoor spaces that quiet the mind, soften overstimulation, and create room for reflection. With white blooms, gentle pastels, and atmospheric contrasts leading the way, 2026 gardens will feel lighter, slower, and more intentional.

Cloud Dancer doesn’t signal a lack of color. It signals a shift toward hues that soothe rather than shout. And in the garden world, that’s a trend worth embracing.

About the Author

Katie Dubow is president of Garden Media Group and a nationally recognized garden trend expert. She leads the creation of the annual “Garden Trends Report” and works with leading horticultural brands to translate global design and consumer shifts into meaningful opportunities.