Pantone has announced its colors of the year . They’re “two independent colors that highlight how different elements come together to support one another…practical and rock solid, but at the same time, warming and optimistic, the union of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is one of strength and positivity.”

I do love gray (or grey) but it is pretty hard to find it in flowers. Yellow, however, is a color I’ve been using in designs for lots of reasons - it brightens everything and seems to have some healing power. Turns out true primary yellow, is a color associated with madness, illness, and domestic horror.

In her excellent book Colors: A Natural History of the Palette, Victoria Finlay explains …that many yellow dyes cause bodily purging: “In fact, it is quite a characteristic of things that are vibrating at the yellow resonance, Gourds, unripe pineapple, yellow dock root and yellow flag irises all have the same violently purgative effect. Perhaps it is not a coincidence that Indian Vedic tradition places yellow at the second chakra—the navel, just above the colon.” Can’t wait to share this with my yoga teacher!

Yellow flowers burst with happiness. They symbolize the bonds of friendship, the taste of success and pride. Joy is also one of the meanings of this flower, as that is one of the feelings the color is said to evoke.

However, yellow flowers have taken on several other meanings in ancient cultures. The Mayan’s for example used them as a symbol of abundance due to their similarity to the colour of corn; their staple food. Additionally, in many other ancient cultures like the Greek and Egyptian civilisations yellow flowers were valued due to their similarity in colour to precious materials like gold, or the sun itself.

And of course colors have different meanings in today’s cultures. According to Floraqueen.com you should be cautious about sending yellow flowers to Paris or Lyon, as these bouquets symbolize jealousy. Sending yellow flowers to countries like China or Japan won’t offend anyone. It could actually be quite complimentary, as they signify a royal or nobel bearing. In Japan, the symbol of the Emperor and the Imperial House is a yellow Chrysanthemum, which is the ancient symbol of royalty.

Also be careful sending yellow bouquets to South and Central America as here yellow flowers carry a strong message of death. These flowers are often used to decorate the graves of relatives who have passed away. This can be seen especially on Dia de Los Muertos where yellow and orange marigolds are used extensively to honor the dead. Yellow flowers are seen as the only way to help the ghosts of family members find their grave on the occasion.

So as we approach the darkest days of the year, get yourself some yellow flowers! They will fill your home with joy and help you find your way to the light.