Orange

A lot of people hate orange flowers. However, the golden light here in Southern California agrees with the color orange.  It looks right.  California and orange means the California poppy, Eschscholzia californica.  I spotted an interesting volunteer plant with color-sport flowers.  You can buy seed packs of color variants, but this one appeared by the driveway all on its own. Less orange for the orange-haters:


I like how the orange in 'Lady Emma Hamilton' is echoed in the foliage color. This rose is a fascinating mix of colors, and not just in the flowers. New stems and  foliage are a  rich burgundy hue, lightening to coppery bronze before becoming an intense dark blue-green. 


For a pure orange rose, there is 'Louise Clements'.  In this garden 'Louise' is adjacent to a hot concrete driveway and has been a  bit toasty in our recent drought.  This year with extra rain, a little extra water and an anti-transpirant, Louise is very happy, if you count happiness by the number of buds:


Another orange rose is 'Wildfire'.  This Hybrid Tea is a reliable producer of flowers on long straight stems.  Orange with the occasional crimson touch and a hint of yellow at the petal base.


This shot this looks like 'Wildfire''s drivers license picture.  Must be the grey background and dour pose.


And orange in this garden also means 'Brass Band' blaring at the front gate:


And um, oranges...(how could I forget those?) Not ripe yet.


Peach is not orange, nor is apricot.  Both are the better-mannered, refined versions of orange.  A day lily more peach than anything else.  I still have not remembered the name. 


Are you sick of the color orange?  Do you need some relief?  Maybe mixed with a little cool silver it's not so bad:


Or something completely different, to startle you into a different mood altogether:




Orange you glad you stayed to the end?