23 November 2007

Orange you loving orange in the garden?


With apologies to Yolanda Elizabet, and other gardeners who aren't a fan of this colour...we're back for another round with orange plants. Kicking off the display is probably the only orange-foliaged plant I can think of (outside of autumn); the coleus Sedona, which is very warmly orange in colour. There's at least one other orange-foliaged coleus out there, but its name eludes me.


Next to my beloved 'Green Envy' coneflower, the orange coneflowers from Itsaul Plants are among my favourites. This is Sunset, which has done very well in our garden; we added Sundown this year, which I find has a bit more pink in it, but is still a fine plant. WEll, let's be truthful here...I never met a coneflower I didn't love!


You may be familiar with Anagallis, or blue pimpernel (if not, you will be when I post my hymn to blue flowers soon). This is a newish hybrid, 'Wildcat Orange' which I also just love. It works well planted with 'Wildcat Blue' or 'Skylover' anagallis, or just about any rich, blue flower. Like the blue varieties, its flowers close in cloudy or wet weather, explaining the common name 'Poor Man's Weatherglass.'


Another annual that rocks my container plantings is portulaca, as I mentioned in the previous ode to orange. This is a named variety, but I'm not sure if it's from the Yubi or the Hotshot series from Proven Winners. All I know is that I love the way the pink and orange combine, sort of like my beloved annual ice plants.


Probably the first sign of orange in the spring, although some might quibble that this is more of a red. It's Diane witchhazel, Hamamelis--I was so excited to finally get my hands on it and get it into the front garden, as I'm very partial to witch hazels and yet didn't have any in the yard.


A new offering in Gaillardia is 'Oranges and Lemons', growing in my friend Ramona's garden. Gaillardia like a little better drainage than most of my garden can provide, especially over winter, so I haven't yet tried this one, but I've lost plenty of others over the years. Errrr...sometimes, I'm quite sure I've dug them out in spring, mistaking them for a weed! Next spring, however, I have plans to try this plant in one of the better-drained sites in the garden.


Past posts, and fellow bloggers, have extolled the virtues of helenium, or Helen's flower, sometimes curiously called sneezeweed. This latter name apparently comes about because of a former use of the plant's dried leaves as a snuff substitute, or so I read in one of my gardening books. I''ll just enjoy it as a long blooming, and late-season, perennial star, whatever colour it comes in.


Here's Venidium again, this being the 'Flame' cultivar. Its sister cultivar, 'Wine', was in the last garden bloom day report, but the cold weather has finally made it surrender. This is a wonderful annual, tough, longblooming, and floriferous. I haven't tried saving or growing it from seed, and maybe I should have. Keep working on me, those of you in the Garden Bloggers Seed Exchange, and I'll probably end up doing more seed-saving and planting!


This is Diascia, or twinspur, which used to be only available in some shades of pink and rose. They were nice enough, but when I saw this one, 'Pumpkin', well, I had to have it. There are Apricot and coral varieties too, but I find them rather tepid, at least in the diascias; this, however, has been a stellar performer, in a container along with 'Black and Blue Salvia', 'African Sunset' Thunbergia, and a hot fuchsia callibrachoa. Not surprisingly, hummingbirds and butterflies flocked to that planter, too!


This sweet pea was growing in someone else's garden, and she didn't remember which one it was; but it had wonderful fragrance as well as these glowing flowers, so we suspect it was not one of the newest cultivars. I'm no authority on sweet peas, however, so please don't take that as gospel truth.


To cool your orange-seared irises, a little heavenly blue...which leads me to wonder, of course, why there isn't an orange morning glory?

13 comments:

  1. The orange flowers were nice. Just the thing to warm me up on a cold night.

    But, no orange canna, or dahlias or marigolds?

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  2. Yep, love those orange flowers. I think they put quite a large exclaimation point on the garden whereever you situate one.

    I love those blue blooms but do you find you have more than enough seedlings around your garden from this plant? I sure do and I don't like that aspect of the morning glory.

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  3. Great post, Jodi! I adore orange flowers (and foliage) too. 'Sedona' is the one coleus I'd never be without. And that orange anagallis is outstanding. I think I need to track that one down for next year.

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  4. i'm planning an orange bed for this summer/autumn. Hope I will be as lucky as you...

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  5. Jodi:

    When you first posted on orange my thoughts went to that coleus 'Sedona'. It is orange but with some purple and I missed it this past year. Love the anagallis and 'Diane'!

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  6. *sigh* While I also have several of the beauties you show here, now I've got a couple more on my list of must-haves.

    Gorgeous photos, Jodi!

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  7. The Diascia looks so beautiful and delicate. But I think my fave in this post is the sweet pea. I've never seen one that shade before! WOW! Just gorgeous! Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

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  8. I like orange in the garden, mixed with lots of other things. That Gaillardia looks interesting, and they do very well in my soil. I have got to remember that name.
    My first garden seed catalog is already here. I have been looking through it to mark things I like. I don't really have that much room left, though.

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  9. I have 'green envy' for the coneflowers and for the venidium! They are beautiful. Happy weekend!

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  10. The orange flowers that grow in Austin are different ones from yours, Jodi, but I like that pop of color, too.

    The tropical orange & yellow milkweed may soon be frozen here, but a few orange pansies will probably make it throught the cold rain.

    I hope you're enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend.

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  11. Jodi,

    Nice pics. I even like the orange Coleus. I lived in the town it was named after for about a year a while back. The coneflower is pretty nice too I'll have to keep my eye out of that one.

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  12. Orange you glad my orange puns are almost done?
    Carol, I haven't grown canna or dahlias for a few years--I'm not patient with them because I have to start them inside, find a place that is warm enough for them. I LOVE them, just don't have any. And I don't grow marigolds except for the fernleaf variety--of which I had no photos, surprisingly. Good call on all these things.

    Lisa, I wish I had morning glory seedlings--but they don't do that here--too cold. I collect seed from them and plant them indoors and that works fine, but nope, they never come from seeds outside, sadly.

    Nancy, welcome! I love Gardening Gone Wild (and glad you love orange too.) Anagallis is a jewel of a plant.

    Verobirdie, I bet you'll have fun planning that orange bed--and it'll be awesome.

    Layanee, I'd like to try 'Sedona' with one of the bright green foliage plants and something brilliant blue, like 'Black and Blue' salvia. That would be delicious.

    Kylee, the musthave plants are growing for all of us, aren't they?

    Cindy I'm going to try to find the name of that orange sweet pea for you (and for me).

    Sandy, I got a seed catalogue this week too--and plan to order some more catalogues. In fact, I should do a post requesting recommendations from others!

    Kate, cute comment! I love venidium, and of course we all know what I feel about Green Envy...:-)

    Annie, I bet your orange flowers are fantastic in Austin; they'd make a hot city even hotter, though, wouldn't they?

    MBT I can wax eloquent about coneflowers of all colours for days...as can Kylee at Our Little Acre. They're just such great plants!

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  13. I love the little pink and orange portulaca...it's scrumptious.

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