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| Monarch on Tithonia rotundifolia |
My preferences for colors and combinations of colors in the garden shift and change with the seasons, the years, and the specific "rooms" in the garden. I don't have a favorite plant or plants, either. There are a few plants (native and non-native) that I'd prefer not to have in my garden, although I appreciate them in other gardens and in natural settings.
Many people mention disliking orange flowers. I'm going to be "radical" by saying I actually enjoy orange in the garden--from the bright, vibrant oranges of many Zinnias to the peachy tones of some delicate Roses. I find them pleasing to the eye, and I appreciate how they attract hummingbirds and butterflies. But I realize colors, plant choices, and pairings are very individualistic. Each garden is unique!
The color wheel has been a good guide for me when selecting companion plants (in addition to other practical tools like natural pairings in nature, height and size considerations, and companion planting techniques). Using the color wheel, specifically, I guess I lean more toward choosing complementary, triadic, or split complementary combinations. Because there's so much green in my garden, I often tend to balance it with purple and orange, yellow and periwinkle, or blue and pink. And even then, there are so many shades of each basic color.
Janet at The Paintbox Garden really knows her colors, and her blog is a wonderful walk through the endless palette options for any gardener. She's currently working on a book that will be published next year.
I'm not a color expert, and often I create messy mistakes that just don't work after further consideration.
But, again, I do like orange flowers (and just about every other colored blooms, depending on the situation and the combination). Sticking with the "orange and purple, balanced by green" theme, here are some example combinations. Often orange blooms include hints of purple and purple blooms have hints of orange; so their pairing with green emphasizes the triadic concept.
I'm not a color expert, and often I create messy mistakes that just don't work after further consideration.
But, again, I do like orange flowers (and just about every other colored blooms, depending on the situation and the combination). Sticking with the "orange and purple, balanced by green" theme, here are some example combinations. Often orange blooms include hints of purple and purple blooms have hints of orange; so their pairing with green emphasizes the triadic concept.
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| 'Zowie' Zinnia elegans & Echinacea purpurea |
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| Tagetes hybrid & Angelonia angustifolia |
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| Lantana camara & Verbena hastata |
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| Lantana camara & Salvia x sylvestris |
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| Monarch with Impatiens capensis & Conoclinium coelestinum |
Personally, I think it can be overdone, too. But pops of orange, balanced by other colors, are OK by me. Do you have favorite colors in your garden? Are there colors and combinations you avoid?
Great post, Beth. I've really come around to love orange in my garden. While it's nowhere near my personal favorite color, some of my most prolific blooming and biologically important plants (as well as some of the prettiest!) are orange. What's not to love about that! Tina
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tina! Agreed! I think for me it's the pops of orange that I like, decoratively, as well as the fact that the flowers often attract and support pollinators.
DeleteI just recently came across the news that people don't like orange flowers. What?! I love it! Your butterfly photo is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, I was surprised that some folks aren't crazy about orange flowers. I mean, I understand that we all have different likes and dislikes. I wouldn't want an entirely orange palette, but I like a few orange blooms here and there, especially in sunny spots and places frequented by butterflies and hummingbirds. :)
DeleteI've developed a great fondness for orange in recent years. The color mixes well especially with SoCal's warm temperatures.
ReplyDeleteYes, that makes sense, Kris! Orange seems to work here in sunny spots, and definitely in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. :)
DeleteI adore orange in the garden with pinks and purples. You see them beautifully paired on the roadside together. Now choosing color combos, I also try and take risks that sometimes don't work.
ReplyDeleteTaking risks is part of the fun, right? And learning from nature is helpful, too. :)
DeleteHappy June,
ReplyDeleteI like orange flowers. I like orange zinnia. I have grown some sunflowers with deep orange in the petals.
I am playing with white flowers now, they have become a favorite.
Carla
Happy June, Carla! Oh, I definitely like to use white flowers in the garden. Many of the native ephemerals, fruit trees, and shrubs have beautiful white flowers!
DeleteI never used to like orange in the garden but I love it now. All pastel gardens are a bit boring, we all need a bit of zing. And of course, lucky people who have fabulous Monarch butterflies need to be able to match them.
ReplyDeleteI think I've always liked a little orange here and there, but this green, green garden, in particular, really needs some color. Orange is helps to "wake it up" a bit. And, yes, the monarchs seem at home on bright orange blooms. 😊
DeleteMy flower garden is a distance from the house. My husbands chair faces the window and he looks at it all day. He keeps commenting on how he likes the bright yellows and oranges. So, guess what I have planted the most - garish bright oranges and yellows. I think they can be seen from the moon. The calmer pinks and purples are beside my favorite swing in the back corner.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't think there are any rules for gardening. I have never seen an ugly flowerbed. Even one full of weeds is feeding the insects.
Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
Oh gosh, I totally agree Jeannie: Any flowerbed has value. A garden that welcomes bees, birds, butterflies and critters is a happy place!
DeleteThose are all pretty colors. The only color I don't like in a flower, and it's the flower itself in that color I don't like, is the Green Envy zinnia.
ReplyDeleteHey Lisa: The Green Envy Zinnia...oh, I see what you mean. I love that chartreuse color, though, but now I'm imagining how to combine it with pink, lavender, or periwinkle blue. Hmmmm...
DeleteOnce upon a time I wouldn't have put orange flowers in the garden, but that's all changed and now they pop up here and there in the beds and borders; Geums, heleniums, crocosmia, calendulas to name but a few. I love your photos of the Monarch butterfly, particularly the feature image at the top! Fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Catherine. 😊 Your description of all those plants has me picturing your beautiful garden full of flowers. Enjoy!
DeleteMy tithonia germinated last week, I hope to see lots of butterflies later in the season. Lovely images!
ReplyDeleteThank you. My Tithonia seeds were slow to germinate, but they seem to be taking off now. Aren't they wonderful blooms?
DeleteI like all the colors, though I don't have very much white. My biggest challenge is trying to break up all that green foliage with other plants that have contrasting leaf colors or shapes.
ReplyDeleteOh, I agree. I love the green, but I like some other colors in the garden, too! It's a little more challenging to add colorful plants in a shade garden.
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