'Spring Fire' Flowers And Other Random Oranges

I was unsure of the flower color of Metrosideros collina 'Spring Fire'--red?  But no, it's orange, and will agree with its neighbors, either in flower or foliage color. 

'Spring Fire', just opening:
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Open, the flowers are very bottle-brushy.  The display will become spectacular in time, as the shrub matures and becomes a petite tree.  
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The silvery-grey foliage of the Metrosideros agrees perfectly with the silver grey Puya, which is visible only briefly each year:
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The Puya gets swallowed up each spring by the Tagetes lemonii.  It reappears only when I cut the Tagetes back in early winter.  So far, this has not seemed to bother the Puya, except perhaps to slow it down, which is fine by me. 


The orange of the Metrosideros flower also matches the orange of classic California poppies.  When my nephew was very small, just four or five years old,  I explained to him that the little poppy flower covers are used by fairies as rain-hats.  He rolled his eyes as me and sighed.  He didn't believe in garden fairies.  
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I love how the flowers unfurl like scrolls:
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I love the intense color of the silky petals:
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Lots of orange. 
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I'm still too tired to think.  The puppies are a handful, especially at 5 am.  Their personalities are becoming apparent.  Boris is sweet, dignified, not overly brave, and ready to cooperate.  
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Natasha is a little bully and smart.  Uh-oh!  Making herself right at home:Photobucket


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Comments

  1. I love the "lots of orange" photo just before the puppy shots.

    What is the plant behind the Puya?

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  2. I love Californian poppies, think I might grow some again this year. Your garden looks beautiful in that 'lots of orange' picture. Nice to see the puppies all cleaned up. Hope they don't become mud lovers like my Golden Retriever was. He could find mud in a drought.

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  3. Alan that's Dasylirion longissima.

    Crystal it is a mystery to me why Sammy puppies love mud, but hate water!

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  4. Fabulous images of the plants and flowers in your garden dear Hoover.
    The puppies are adorable.
    xoxoxo ♡

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  5. Thanks Dianne!

    Hi Cynthia, I love orange too. It's a happy color that makes me smile.

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