Colorful Garden Flowers

By Susan M. Keenan

Gardens, small and large, offer a bit of color and a wafting of perfume scented air. Gardeners plant flowers in a variety of colors, scents, and sizes. Some blooms present a more imposing presence than others, either by their sheer visual appearance or by the heady scent they emit for our pleasure.

The following varieties appear as horticultural queens in any garden and can be grown easily.

The Foxtail Lily, or Eremurus, appearing in the early summer months, presents a startling image of starry flowers. It is soft to the touch, in an array of colors including yellow, white, bronze or pinkish orange. Their tall leafless spires reach between four and six feet, drawing attention to their colorful appearance. All eyes are drawn to this profusion of color standing in such regal splendor.

The Lily of the Nile, otherwise lovingly referred to as the African Lily or Flower of Love, blooms in a wild cacophony of fantastic flowers, slender in individuality. The stalks are straight and the leaves grow low. Donau blooms in a profusion of sky blue coloring, while Storm Cloud heralds in with rich cobalt. In the color of innocence, white, Snowy Owl makes its appearance in a startling contrast to the others. This glorious flower comes to us from its heritage in South Africa.

A variety of tulips offer a pleasing and colorful way to bring some elegance to any outdoor garden. The blooms are often 8 to 10 inches in width, making their colors even more apparent. Parrot Tulip, Estella Rijnveld, appears in bright red with wide splotches or stripes of green or white upon them. Violet Bird is a purple, reminiscent of orchids, and has spots of green. Rococo comes in with an abundance of bright red splattered with gold and green.

Delphinium, a long time favorite for cottage gardens, is a tall beauty whose hybrids can max out at 8 feet. Other varieties will top out at approximately 2 feet. Densely gifted with a profusion of blooms that are often in pairs, this flower enchants gardeners and garden visitors with its brightly colored blooms of indigo, cobalt, blue, pink, and white. A flower that loves to soak up the sunshine, but abhors the wind, it performs well in hardiness zones 3 through 7.

Angel’s Trumpet, or Brugmansia, is a real grand stander who arrives with 20 inch blooms. In fact, the leaves are almost as bold as the blooms themselves. A subtropical delight that hails from Chile, this plant is best grown in a container for wintering indoors due to its delicate nature. The blooms emit a heady perfume and arrive in a profusion of colors. Gardeners can select among peach, pink, white, yellow, purple, and red. The plant will attain a height of about eight feet and enjoys a good life in hardiness zones 8 through 10.

The German or tall-bearded iris is another grand stander that loves to be the center of attention with its large, extravagant blossoms offered in a variety of colors. The flowers can grow to a width of 4 to 6 inches and enjoy abundant sun and well-drained soil. For an exciting and colorful addition to your garden, select Fierce Fire known for its bright yellow petals with an orange beard.

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