‘Tis the season for the Pantone Color Institute to anoint a new color of the year — and, once again, it’s one that plays well in many floral designs.

Last week the venerable design firm unveiled its new pick, “Classic Blue” (Pantone 19-4052), to much applause from the floral industry professionals. According to Leatrice Eiseman, the Pantone Color Institute’s executive director, the timeless blue hue “highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.”

The cool, inky color provides peace and tranquility, qualities consumers crave in world full of obligations, distractions and — especially with another election looming large — contention.

“We are living in a time that requires trust and faith,” said Eiseman, who has shared her expertise in the past at Society of American Florists events and in Floral Management magazine. “Classic Blue provides an anchoring foundation. A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking.”

The months-long process of pinpointing a color for 2020 was similar to efforts in years past.

Pantone’s color experts combed the world looking for new color influences. Their research included the entertainment industry, traveling art collections, fashion, all areas of design and popular travel destinations, as well as cultural stimuli, such as new lifestyles and technologies, political events and socio-economic conditions.

The selection came as no surprise to Sandy Schroeck, AIFD, PFCI, owner of Trend on Design in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

“I had it down to either a blue or yellow,” she said. Her prediction stemmed from the number of blue suits and gowns she’d notice on recent fashion runways. “Blue seemed to be overtaking black,” she said, adding that fashion tends to be the driver of trends. “Once broadly accepted, it moves into home decor.” She expects blue containers and accessories to take center stage this year and looks forward to using more hydrangeas, delphiniums, eryngium and tints by Design Master, color tool inc.

In York, Pennsylvania, Vince Butera, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, had a similar hunch based on recent wedding consultations. “I have already seen a number of my 2020 brides incorporating dark blues into their attire and linens,” said the owner of Butera the Florist. As an artist, he’s excited by the potential of Classic Blue. “Much like the ocean, it can tell a lot of stories,” he said. “It can be peaceful, relaxing, dramatic or powerful depending on which colors you pair with it.”

While the number of naturally blue flowers is relatively few, there are limitless ways for designers to play with this color, said J Schwanke, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, host of the PBS series “J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom” and the 2019 Floral Management Marketer of the Year.

“Flowers and foliage of so many colors look great on blue,” he said. “For instance, orange is a striking pairing that creates an exciting reaction. Or you could cool it down with analogous shades of lavender and green. Or you could go for a split complement with red, orange and yellow, which includes pink, peach and salmon tones.”

“God created blue as nature’s neutral,” said Deborah De la Flor, AIFD, PFCI, owner of De la Flor Florist & Garden Center in Cooper City, Florida. “Just look at the sky and water.”

Corey Harbour, AIFD, NADF, PFCI, of Lucky Group and Teters Floral Products, agreed. “It’s an excellent blank canvas for design,” he said. “Comforting, regal and traditional, blue is the new neutral.” The color has already taken hold in hard goods and home decor, he said, with agate slices and blue vases gaining popularity. And botanically, “there is a huge surge in tinted novelty pieces, like blue craspedia,” he said.

Sharon McGukin, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, Smithers-Oasis design director and author of “Flowers of the Heart,” plans to reach for a number of azure accent flowers, including nigella, larkspur, muscari, agapanthus, gentiana and veronica. “Of course, tucking a branch of blueberries into a fresh flower arrangement is always eye-catching too,” she said.

In Edmonton, Alberta, Heather de Kok, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, hopes Classic Blue will help to usher in a feeling of calmness.

“This is exactly what the world needs right now,” she said. “I don’t mean that in a political sense, but just in response to how busy our day-to-day lives have gotten. We need to slow down the pace, realize that it’s okay not to respond to an email or text immediately.”

The owner of Heather de Kok Floral Design recommends people set a simple vase of hydrangeas on a bedside table or next to the kitchen sink — “somewhere you can stare at them and appreciate the small things,” she said. “It’s the perfect way to practice self-care.”

Katie Hendrick Vincent is the senior contributing writer and editor for the Society of American Florists.