Orange is such a bright, cheerful colour, isn't it? Don't you just love to see it everywhere? (Geum 'Cooky')
It's a funny thing about orange. I don't wear it or have it in the house anywhere (except on flowers that are blooming) but in the garden, it makes me instantly happy. (Callibrachoa 'Terracotta')
There are so many awesome shades of orange, aren't there? (Fireball Azalea)
I especially love orange blossoms punching up their brilliance in the spring garden, as an anodyne to the more tepid pastel colours (no diss meant to those who like pastels, but as I've said before...here in the fog, we need bright colours in our gardens) (Lantana Landmark Citrus)
Okay, maybe this is more PORANGE than true orange...but it's a great hummingbird magnet, and smells divine to boot (Agastache Acapulco)
I love how orange can go from being a nearly-salmon colour (Diascia Orange something or other, suffering from lost label syndrome)
Or a more cheddary colour (Trollius Orange Queen)
It can be jaw-droppingly awesome and vibrant in colour (Euphorbia 'Fireglow')
Or more subtle, although paired with Chameleon Euphorbia brightens it even more. (One of the Lights series of azaleas)
There's a particular reason for my glee about orange today. (yes, I'm slowly feeling better, thank you for all your get well wishes). Orange happens to represent my provincial political party of choice...and the New Democratic Party made history here in Nova Scotia last night by electing its first majority government. Whoooo hooooo! They can't fix everything overnight, of course, but I have long been impressed by the integrity of premier-designate Darrell Dexter, and was thrilled to do my small bit to help elect an NDP Member of the Legislature in my riding for the first time ever, too.
I hadn't been out of the house much in the past couple of days except to go to the doctor...and so I almost missed the beginning of the highlight of my gardening season. What colour is the perfect counterpoint/complement to orange? 
Blue, of course. Blooming a week earlier than usual. I'll have more to say on that in my next blog post, though.
Two of my favorite colors as well, Jodi. You've gotta get the re-blooming fragrant Iris 'Orange Perfection. '
ReplyDeleteI like orange, too. My cooky geums didn't live more than a few years. Maybe I should try them again. My new bed still has some orange from when it was smaller, and I have put other orange here and there, but it is mostly a pastel bed. I seem to like to break the color rules, and get by with it for the most part.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling well.
So sorry you feel bad. Big hugs!
ReplyDeleteI did a bunch of peach this year to match the hint of it in my white brick. Love it and love your oranges too. Especially like the million bell
Sorry, I'm still not converted to orange. I can admire it in an academic way, but it doesn't move me (certainly not to the garden center). Call me eccentric, call me contrary, I just don't "do" orange. All my yellows are pure, all my pinks are blued, all my reds are crimsoned. It makes it a lot easier to coordinate plants that way. Besides, I'll always look color-coordinated with my garden. ;^)
ReplyDeleteJodi, I have recently fallen under the spell of orange...Two big dahlia have moved in. You know, they dance so nicely with the lilac and pink flowers I favor. I am totally smitten with Agastache Acapulco! It's gorgeous. I fear there is no more room in the Susans Bed.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were ill...but I am glad to hear you are doing better. Gail
Oh, my, Jodi -- Loverly oranges and then that blue. Is that a meconopsis?
ReplyDeleteNow I'm answering my own question, because the significance of your avatar just hit me. You lucky thing.
ReplyDeleteI not only love orange (and blue) in the garden, but I happily wear it too. Pure orange, not the burnt-orange of the UT Longhorns. Orange is sunny and confident. I'm glad you like it too, different as our gardening climates are.
ReplyDeleteGo Orange. One of my favorite colors and yes, I wear it too.
ReplyDeleteHi Jodi, I am glad you are feeling better and sorry you were ill. As for orange, I adore it too. We are referred to around here as Big Orange country in fact, for it is the color of the University of TN Volunteers. Everything comes in TN orange, from jewelry to nail polish to cars and house paint. And yes, some people do paint their houses orange to support the team. But in the garden, and on our backs, if a flower is available in orange, it gets to live here. Your azaleas are real eye candy. So nice to relive early spring with your garden. And many congrats on your *team* winning the election too. :-)
ReplyDeleteFrances
I quite like orange as well and dont find it too hard to incorporate. I have more problems with the pink of Lychnis
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice collection of orange blooms. I think the Agastache is my favorite, and of course the Lantana.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the political win, Jodi! Hope you're feeling okay now. I agree with Janet, MUST GET that agastache!!! And the lantana is great.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't noticed the connection between my love of orange in the garden and my love of orange in the political jungle before! Not only was I happy about the win, but so encouraged to see Valley and South Shore ridings go NDP - it seemed like a vote of confidence in the NDP's ability to do good by our farmers and natural resources secters.
ReplyDeleteHi Jodi,
ReplyDeleteI had not kept up with the past couple of blogs...sorry...so I didn't know you were under the weather also! Glad your back in the garden with my fav. toy and taking those lovely photos. I also love orange and yellows...it brightens up a dull day and corner of the garden! We also have a deep pumpkin orange front door. It looks the best this time of year and in the fall!!! Now I'm on the search for that Euphorbia and Agastache also...you've got to stop that teasing!
I love orange flowers! Yours look beautiful! I have a geum and it is a real joyful plant(-: Orange just pops in the garden and makes for a happy flowerbed(-:
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're feeling better, my dear. As for orange -- not so much in the garden for me (though that lantana looks awfully tempting). But on me? as long as it's not neon, I love to wear it.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are feeling better, Jodi; those vibrant oranges in your garden must surely help to perk you up. I've always been a pastel kind of gal, but I've begun to add a few brighter colors to the garden lately. Love that agastache! And Carolyn Gail is right--having seen her orange perfection iris in person, I can vouch that it's a beauty.
ReplyDeleteAnd being an avid Illini fan, orange and blue are definitely the best combination!
I remeber that blue poppy blooming last year and what a special moment it was for you. As for the orange-wow such great colors ad hues you have. I added afew oranges to my pinks and purples this year and am enjoying their bright spots in the gardens. Hope you keep improving. Yeah for the new government!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest son's favorite color is orange and my husband's work uniform consists of an orange shirt. Of course my alma mater's colors are orange and blue (University of Illinois). I've used orange in my garden- basically some oriental lillies and I planted a Geum a couple of days ago.
ReplyDeleteI like orange!
Hi Jodi, I feel the same way about the color orange it makes the garden looks more alive. Congra on the win and I hope you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteI love orange in the garden, but don't wear it. Here in Oklahoma, it's the color of the rival college just up the interstate from me. I'm an alum of the color south on the same interstate. LOL. Orange can mean many things, can't it?~~Dee
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you've been unwell - and glad to hear things are better now. Orange is my favourite colour. Love this post.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you haven't been feeling well Jodi. Summer is not a good time to be sick, is it? (not that anytime is, just so much to do in the garden). I'm an orange fan too (even tho I'm a pink lover first) and you have many gorgeous hues featured here. My favorite has to be that Acapulco Agastache tho. Wow. What a stunner. I'd love to add it to my garden. And yes, blue is the perfect compliment to orange. I remember seeing your amazing blue poppies last year ~ enjoy the bloom season.
ReplyDeleteI've always disliked orange until I grew some of the orange cosmos last year. Now I'm kind of warming to the color and I can't wait to see the orange cosmos this year. I sowed hundreds of seeds that I saved and purchased.
ReplyDeleteI hope your health continues to improve.
Hi there Jodi, hope you're feeling a little better now. I can see now how orange could brighten your days! Until a few years ago this was a colour I avoided but now I see it as the new yellow in my garden. I just love its zing!!
ReplyDeleteOh... but the plant with the most zing just has to be the blue poppy. Mine has been zinging here in Scotland for a few weeks now. The bees have been enjoying it too. I can truly understand how much you look forward to its flowers every year - so do I :-D
Hi Jodi, you make a very good case for adding orange to our gardens. I'm still a pinks/blues (reds/purples), girl, deep down, but I enjoy adding a splash of yellow here and there, and as it turns out, oranges as well. Whether it is in a guam, a marigold, a cosmos or whatever, splashes of this shade do brighten things up. But wow, I don't have a place for such a variety of oranges. Yours are lovely indeed! And I am sorry to hear you've been ill and hope you are on the mend and feeling great soon;-) Jan
ReplyDeleteYou are inspiring me to have some orange in my garden, maybe an orange rose.
ReplyDeleteOrange is a bright and happy color, and sunflowers have that effect on me. Hey, maybe I will plant some orange / bronze sunflowers.
Hi Jodi! I am glad you feel better! Your flowers are beautiful, although the orange is not my color. I should admit that there are orange blooms in my garden: crocosmia, marigolds, nasturtium, lilies... I had only one orange dress, when I was little. But recently I got an orange top that, surprisingly, looked good on me! So, I think I am not orange-hopeless! And, as you showed very well with your pictures - there are so many shades of orange!
ReplyDeleteYour Agastache Acapulco and Fireglow caught my eye.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to have blooms of my own.
It would be tough on the hummingbirds, bees and butterflies if I didn't like orange, Jodi - some of their favorite flowers come in that color...Orange milkweed, Flame Acanthus, Orange cuphea, 'Bengal Tiger' cannas and oh, yes...those darling Terracotta calibrachoa. Still to come, Crocosmia.
ReplyDeleteLove your phrase for yellow-orange - the "cheddary colors", but prefer that in real cheese rather than in flowers ;-]
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Hi Jodi,
ReplyDeleteNice collection of orange hues you got here. I've never really given orange a second thought but now I'm going to have to pay closer attention to it.
Congrats on the win.
Get well soon.
Gorgeous pictures! And, yes, I LOVE orange, too. I planted the most beautiful Orange Sorbet rose bush and in contrast next to yellow, it's amazing! Love the pictures of your cat! I'll be back!
ReplyDeleteI love orange in the garden and let my CA poppies really take over and set the tone. I like to add dark purple, red and hot pinks to the mix as well. Thanks for posting your beautiful photos~!!
ReplyDeletei am really liking orange in the garden more and more...i have a wonderful orange nasturtium and a pale yellow one with orange dots in the throat. we also have the terracotta callibrachoa.
ReplyDeleteI have an orange and pink lantana that I love; personally I think purple is also a great complement to orange as well.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you have not been feeling well--hope you continue to improve!
If anyone could make me reconsider the fact that I don't really care for orange flowers, it would be you, Jodi. As I said in my Sunday post, it depends on the flower. You've shown some of the ones that work for me!
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll continue to feel 'more better' every day! *hugs*
I often have clients who say they don't like orange. In such cases I always make a point of planting orange flowers in their gardens. Nobody has ever asked me to dig them out again.
ReplyDeleteUsing orange successfully is all about using blue.