The theme of this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is “Orange.” I made a review of my gardening photographs and discovered, not a surprise, that I apparently have not had a single orange flower in my garden in twenty years, not one. One could conclude that orange is a color that I don’t care for, and I hope that those of you who do indeed like orange flowers will not be offended. Yet orange is probably one of my very favorite colors in fall. Consequently I am happy to respond to the challenge by offering the following varying shades of orange, all captured in my two North Carolina gardens:
Left: Crape Myrtle ‘Catawba,’ upper right: Stewartia pseudocamellia, lower right: Crape myrtle ‘Osage.
Maybe…just maybe…I may try an orange flower this year. Perhaps an annual in a pot at first. Of course, my Arranger has to give her approval.
A Walk in the Garden 
Looks as though you have quite a garden!
janet
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Thanks, Janet. It’s been fun putting it together.
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I vote for Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) and Tithonia rotundifolia (Mexican sunflower). Save the Monarch!
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Good choices. By the way, the Charlotte Garden Club’s annual “Art in the Garden” tour is April 18 and 19. Hope you can come.
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I also vote for the butterfly weed and Mexican sunflower, but the fall color is lovely.
I am following a tree this year (via LOOSE AND LEAFY). My choice is my own Stewartia pseudocamellia! Mine is still a youngster– almost six feet tall and about six years old. You are in North Carolina with an earlier start in the season than here in Central Kentucky. Can you tell me about your Stewartia and what you enjoy about it, besides the camellia-like blooms and the fall color and any problems you have had?
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Liz,
Stewartia is a great tree. It was in full sun with afternoon filtered light through pine trees in my Chapel Hill garden. When we moved to the Charlotte area, I did not plant one (I couldn’t find one locally at the time and didn’t want to order one bare root). Now I wish I had looked harder because it is a lovely addition to a smaller garden. In addition to the flowers and fall color, it has nicely colored bark for winter interest. I had no problems and would certainly recommend it.
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It’s good to get positive reinforcement. Thanks.
The people who bought your Chapel Hill house got lucky with the garden you had to leave behind.
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I love orange in all the seasons. Your last photo through the arch is really lovely. Last year I grew orange Cosmos in pots and liked them so much I will sow them this year again. I also had a stunning orange Echinacea in a pot, which I later planted out. I hope it has survived!
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Thanks, Cathy. I haven’t seen an orange echinacea but will look for one. Good luck with yours.
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I also recommend Butterflyweed and Tithonia. There are some nice orange roses, too – Westerland and Strike it Rich. Sadly both of these have died on me. For an annual, my favorite is single orange Zinnias, especially ‘Profusion’.
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Thanks, Jason. Good choices, but I’m not familiar with the roses.
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Lovely photos, John, and superb garden! My orange vote goes for something very ordinary. The humble pot marigold or Calendula officinalis. Good in the kitchen, on the skin, in a posy, in the garden. I’d like to grow tithonia as well, but no seed ordered. Need to get on with it. Thanks for the orange photo challenge!
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Thanks, Cathy. I’m still not sure if I’m going to find an orange flower in my garden.
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