“I like the color pink for its sleek, classy look and how it accentuates a palette when combined with purples, whites and various tones of green. Nothing wrong with bright reds, yellows and oranges, but my personal preferred palette is more soft and subtle. When I see a landscape like this, whether one of mine or another, I know the designer put a lot of thought into achieving that perfect balance.” – Joe Mantkowski, General Manager/Design Division, ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design

Pink is what you think—could be shocking or pale, bluish or orange-ish, but regardless, your choices are endless. Soft pales are standouts in the shade; hotter hues provide a cheerful “pink-me-up” in sunny locations. Try pairing with whites and greens for a nice crisp look under shade trees -- or, for sunny locations—mix up some pink and orange combos for an instant Florida feel. Here are five pink standouts ArtisTree loves.

Anderson Crepe Hibiscus Tree
Whoever said pink stands for unconditional love must have owned an Anderson Crepe. This garden classic with exquisite soft pink flowers will steal your heart with arching branches that sway your gaze. Less is more with this charming accent tree: we recommend using it alone as an alluring focal point that can grow 10 to 12 feet. You’ll want to plant in full to part sun and trim branches back in the spring to encourage new growth. Fertilize three times a year, too. Don’t let this exotic beauty intimidate you. All the Anderson Crepe needs is love.

Nora Grant Ixora
Here’s another Ixora we like—the Nora Grant all decked out in salmon-pink. This evergreen shrub with pom-pom flower clusters and glossy leaves is prized for its low maintenance and prolific blooming, especially when planted in full sun. As a foundation plant, you’ll see it usually kept at three to four feet, although left unpruned, it can reach up to 10 feet if you want a colorful privacy screen. This elegant but casual specimen looks best if pruned with a light touch, so don’t get carried away. Be nice to Nora Grant and she’ll be nice to you.

Pink Muhly Grass
You know fall is here when you suddenly see Pink Muhly everywhere—blasts of electrified pink plumes jutting out of the ground in perfect sync across highways and communities. And all this thrill comes from an ordinary, native ornamental grass that’s super easy-care. You can place this sun-loving perennial between shrubs, plant en masse to screen off unsightly areas or fill patio containers for a wispy cotton-candy effect. We recommend cutting them to the ground in late winter just before their rapid spring growth (add some fertilizer, too). Your unruly muhly will pink up again come fall.

Queen Emma Crinum Lily
This year why not welcome Hawaiian royalty to your landscape? The grand six-foot Queen Emma Crinum (named for the consort of King Kamehameha IV), creates an instant botanical-garden feel with enormous white and magenta flowers. As royalty is accustomed to, it blooms whenever it feels like it, but more often in warmer months. Strappy maroon leaves will change to green in shade. Give them sun or partial shade in well-drained soil, and they will reward you with sweet-scented, spidery flowers either pool side or as a striking single plant specimen

Pink Sunpatiens
If you like impatiens, you’ll like the hybrid Sunpatiens even more. They’re bigger, do better in the sun and will bloom their little heads off October through May. When planted in mass, this jumble of perfection jostles for attention in all kinds of colors, but the eye-popping pinks seem cheeriest. Sunpatiens thrive in full sun or partial shade with tough, easy-to-maintain foliage. And unlike impatiens, they resist downy mildew, whether planted in pots, baskets or in your landscape. Impatient for Sunpatiens? We always are, too.

Dreaming of a landscape renovation? Choose the landscaper that luxury builders use by calling Jenni Lassen at 941.217.7438. Or visit www.artistree.com.

For community-wide HOA landscape maintenance services, contact Mike Casper at [email protected] and we’ll get your proposal started.  Our nationally ranked company serves Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.