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!