Are you wondering how to incorporate the 2025 Pantone Colour of the Year into your garden? This year’s choice, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, is a rich, warming brown hue that evokes the comforting qualities of chocolate and coffee. This nurturing colour is perfect for creating a cosy and inviting outdoor space.

As we cosy up during the winter months, it’s the perfect time to dream about transforming our gardens. While snuggling under a warm blanket with a hot chocolate, you can start planning how to bring the comforting tones of Mocha Mousse into your garden. Here’s a few ideas on how you can do it.

Start with Plants

The best way to introduce this cosy colour is through your choice of plants. Here are some stunning options:

Dahlia ‘Cafe au Lait’ Dahlia ‘Cafe au Lait’ boasts huge dinner plate-sized flowers with a dark brown centre and blush pink and cream petals. These perennials need winter protection as they can’t survive cold, damp weather. Store them correctly, and they’ll come back to life in spring, allowing you to take cuttings and expand your plant collection for free! These dahlias grow to around 1.2m tall and 75cm wide, thriving in sunny, well-drained soil. They bloom from July to November, providing late summer and autumn colour.

Planting Suggestions

Depending on whether you prefer a harmonious or complementary colour scheme:

colour wheel

Here are two mini planting suggestions:

Complementary Colour Scheme

A complementary colour scheme uses colours opposite each other on the colour wheel, adding energy to your garden. Pair the brown and cream tones of the Cafe au Lait Dahlia with blue and mauve. Consider:

• Zinnia Zinderella: With lilac fluffy flower heads, which bloom from June to August. Loves a sunny border and make great cut flowers too.
• Salvia Caradonna: Blue spires with dark square stems, versatile for many garden styles.
• Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’: An evergreen shrub with dark purple foliage to enhance the garden show stoppers!

Harmonious Colour Scheme

A harmonious colour scheme includes colours next to each other on the colour wheel, offering a serene look. For a muted palette reminiscent of designer Kelly Hoppen’s style, combine:

• Penstemon: Blooming throughout the summer in various colours.
• Peony: Flowering earlier in the year, around June.
• Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’: Evergreen and pairs well with Penstemon and Peony.

All these plants are perennials, meaning they will die back in winter and return in spring, except the evergreen Pittosporum, which remains year-round.

Additional Coffee-Coloured flowers:

If you’re looking for an extended flower season, start with tulips and finish with dahlias for your coffee hit – here’s some examples of flowers you can use mid year:

Calendula ‘Coffee Cream’

Koko Loko rose – toffee coloured by Peter Beales

Tulip ‘La Belle Epoque’

Alternative Garden Décor Ideas:

If you want to refresh your patio area, in addition to plants, painting is one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways. Use Cuprinol Garden Colours and visit a DIY store paint mixing hub for custom colours. Paint fence panels, furniture, and planters, then add cushions and a rug to create a cosy relaxation spot for summer evenings. For stylish home décor items, try Etsy.

By planning now, you can have a stunning garden that embodies the warmth and richness of PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse. If you need further advice or inspiration, feel free to send photo(s) of your garden to hello@borderinabox.com for free advice.