This fiery color suits every season

Why do many gardeners shy away from oranges? I've always been drawn to its warmth and flexibility. Orange is a versatile color; Even those who don't like it don't mind the salmon hue or peach accent. Although this color has a reputation for being difficult to work with, I find that it lends itself well to many color schemes.

Orange is an eye-catching accent year-round

I am constantly fascinated by how color is presented in plants and how the colors of the garden change and transform through the seasons. In the winter garden, warm orange stems and branches provide a welcome welcome to evergreens and dormant shrubs. The citrus-colored flowers of flowering bulbs and the brown apricot-colored blades of ornamental grasses provide a sense of warmth that helps ease us into spring. In high season, when the orange is at its best, the harsh summer sun enhances it rather than robbing it of its vigour. Of course this color plays an important role in the dramatic transformation of the garden in autumn. Each season, this shade gives strength and character to the garden in a different way.

Each season, this shade gives strength and character to the garden in a different way.

Sunny yellow and bright chartreuse are natural color complements to the strappy tropical leaves of bromeliads (Echmia planchetiana, zones 10-11). A dark, rusty bronze such as 'Dissectum nigrum' Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Dissectum nigrum', syn. 'Ever Red', Zones 5–8) provides strong but subtle contrast, intensifying the glow of nearby orange. - Yellow leaves and flowers.

Each season, this shade gives strength and character to the garden in a different way.

Blue-violet and yellow-orange are opposites on the color wheel, which explains the appeal of this combination. The blue foliage of 'Orange Punch' canna (canna 'Orange Punch', zones 8-10) adds a warm/cool theme.

Orange is a great color bridge

If you're open to mixing orange with other colors, you'll soon come to appreciate its flexibility as a bridge color. Orange blends effortlessly with yellows and limes and looks totally at home as a color floating in a sea of green. This warm hue works beautifully with cool blues and silvers; Such combinations feel innovative or even provocative. Mixing deep burgundy and purple with a pop of orange is a bold statement. Gardening has a dramatic aspect, and we gardeners rely on certain plants as our stars. When a pattern or a focal point is a vibrant color, it quickly rises to the top of my list. At least one of my favorite feature plants is orange. I love its unwavering strength and power.

One of the challenges of working in a large garden is having a continuity of work in different spaces, but even a very small garden can seem unfocused or disorganized without a repeating theme. That's when the orange glows for me. Instantly recognisable, orange visually connects multiple spaces while allowing each to have its own personality. A few accent plants are used in container plantings and garden beds to repeat the theme and tie the spaces together.

Use orange to add scale to gardens of all sizes

If your landscape is deep or wide, scattering an intense color like orange throughout the space will emphasize the feeling of a visual journey. In a more compact garden, combining colors reinforces a sense of continuity. In both cases, it is better to create small masses than to use a large amount of color.

Whether you're keen or reluctant to use orange, it's a beneficial element in every season. Warming in spring, intense in high season, perfect for fall tones, and vibrant in winter's gloom, oranges deserve a place in your garden.

spring

Flirtation Orange diascia (Diascia 'Dala Oran', Zones 9-10)

This annual beauty tolerates the cool evenings and dappled days of early spring, producing abundant but delicate pools of melon-colored flowers until the summer heat dampens their exuberance.