Look to dahlias, crocosmias and late-summer daisies for uplifting drama Use gold ORANGE & YELLOW
As deciduous trees and shrubs start to display their autumn colours, gold, yellow and orange flowers are the perfect fiery match. For container displays, bright orange Tithonia rotundifolia is a joy to behold. Grow from seed in March under cover and these late-flowering annuals will keep going up until the first frosts. I favour the cultivar ‘Torch’ for its zingy blooms that attract bees and butterflies. Choose a sunny spot and a large pot because they’ll reach about 1m (3ft 3in).
Another orange that packs a punch is dahlia ‘David Howard’. Dahlias are the perfect choice for reliable late colour in pots and borders and you’ll find one to match any colour scheme. For best results, give your dahlias a support and deadhead to encourage more f lowers.
Plant them with cannas for a tropical look, but note that in many parts of the country you’ll need to lift them and store them in frost-free conditions over winter. If lifting tubers and growing annuals seems like too much work, then inject bright orange to your plot by planting crocosmias instead – these can be invasive, so keep an eye on how they spread. Crocosmia crocosmiiflora
‘Harlequin’ is a lovely choice. Partner with helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ and the bees will come flocking in. This is a popular hardy perennial that enjoys full sun and little care. Both are easy to grow and look spectacular when planted with ornamental grasses such as Anemanthele lessoniana.
If it’s a hot and spicy atmosphere you’re after, not much beats alstroemeria ‘Indian Summer’. This fairly new alstroemeria has the most incredible stamina and produces orange-red flowers from June until November. It’s great for a pot and overwinters happily outside in a well-drained soil. Partner with bright red dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ for a showstopping display.
The most reliable yellow blooms come from perennial Rudbeckia fulgida sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’.
The single, daisy-shaped flowers, with their dark black centre, make a real statement in the border. They rarely need plant supports but reach a useful height of 60cm (2ft) and require little care. For a softer yellow with more height, perennial sunflower helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ is the perfect choice. As with the rudbeckia, they thrive in most good soils in a sunny spot. ➤