Friday, June 29, 2012

The Heat is On: Hot Colors in the Garden

I guess you could say my garden is cottage style. Nothing is really neat or organized about it. I have things paired up with good companions, I'm careful about height, I don't like weeds, but mostly, its pretty chaotic. The colors are explosive, and sporadic. There's no denying I'm drawn to every shade of color, and I find place for both the pastels, the bolds, the brights, and the whites. Sometimes they are even side by side... and that's alright, too. But if I had to pick one hue as a favorite, it would be sunset. Anything orangey red, corally, with splashes of yellow or burgandy, I'm sold. Have the words hot, papaya, sunset, sunrise, fire, tomato in the title? Want, want, want. I love how you can see these hues from far away- they create impact that cannot be ignored. So, with the heat wave we're experiencing I pulled together my favorite hot colors in the garden this month.

Without a doubt, 'Hot Papaya' Echinacea is one of my favorite plants in the garden. It is a bloom factory! The color is to-die-for. The flowers are huge! Its the first coneflower to bloom in my yard. I can't find a damn thing bad to say about it.
This year it made two wonky flowers- this is not a shadow or sunlight, the flower is really half and half. Very fun.
This is rose 'Playboy'- even the name is hot.
 
And there are few hotter roses than 'Disneyland'.
I have quite a few hot colored asiatic lilies.

Royal Sunset

'Stones'
'Tiny Dino'

My neighbor gave me some snapdragon seedlings, and these little red guys are awesome. I love how the bell faces upward.

But this orangey one, like a mango color? OMG. I love it!

Fabulous little mini dahlias-dahlinova Oregon Red in this plater just blooming their little heads off. These were a steal at $.50 a piece on clearance one year... and here they are years later.

The Monarda is just starting to bloom, and two bright hot flowers caught my eye this evening:


I picked up this 'Secret Desire' coneflower last spring, and she's trucking along now. Last year was kinda slow, but I love her coloring this year. Very hot.

But the hottest coneflower of all? Tomato Soup. Yow!

Stay cool everyone!

3 comments:

Ryan said...

Love the Echinacea! They are a very close second to Dahlias as my favorite plants. White Flower Farm has some amazing ones, but they are so pricey! Have you seen "Coconut Lime", it's crazy.

Jamie Rex said...

You have excellent taste! :) Just added "Coconut Lime" to my wishlist this week. Waiting to find it at a decent price somehwhere local.

Jamie Rex said...

I can send you some seeds! If I remember correctly you get true to the original plant most of the time with echinacea. I was able to get green envy and white swan seedlings going here by simply putting them in the dirt around the existing plant in the fall. Still waiting to see how true to form they come, most are about to bloom now. Should have seeds from these this fall... let me know.