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nancyk
You glad I'm growing in your garden?
September 10, 2021
by Marcia Kauffman/Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Suzanne LaBrecque/Victoria County Master Gardener
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER MARCIA KAUFFMAN
Orange Zinnia
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER SUZANNE LABRECQUE
Orange Zinnias
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER SUZANNE LABRECQUE
Orange Zinnias
SOURCES:
https://www.pickupflowers.com/flower-guide/alstroemeria
Boeckmann, C. “Growing Dahlias” The Old Farmers’ Almanac
How to plant and grow Chinese Lantern
Mammoth™ Daisy Dark Bronze Garden Mum
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
If you have read my previous Gardeners’ Dirt columns, you know I usually reference growing up in southwestern Pennsylvania. When September rolls around, my thoughts begin to turn to autumn leaves, pumpkins and mums. A combination of yellow and red, orange symbolizes endurance and strength.
Orange is one of the many colors of Alstroemeria.
They also come in rose, yellow, pink, purple and white. Take your choice of the flower that can grow in part shade to full sun and well-drained soil in zones 8 to 10.
Originally, the species of Alstromeria aurea comes from the mountainous region of the Andes. It then became naturalized to the United States, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. This Peruvian lily when flowering will burst into one single flower on a stem of 1.5 meters from a tuber. The blooms, which have no fragrance, last for up to two weeks either in the ground or a vase.
The alstromeria can be invasive in your landscape. One factor to consider when planting in your landscape is the toxicity of the plant. It can be semi-toxic and cause irritations to skin, mouth and stomach in humans and animals
Dahlias of the Asteracea family
Like zinnias, sunflowers and daisies, Dahlias range in color from red to white to yellow or orange. When planted in the ideal conditions of full sun and well-drained, loamy soil, they can reach the height of 4 to 5 feet with the blooms from 2 to 15 inches in diameter.
To keep dahlias blooming, make certain to feed them as they are heavy feeders when budding out. In the fall, cut them back so they will have profuse blooms the next year. They can be found growing in zones 8 to 11. Propagation can either be by planting seeds or digging up bulbs and dividing the rhizomes.
An interesting red-orange perennial flower is the Chinese lantern
Chinese Lantern grows in clumps up to 2 feet in height. It derives its name because after producing small while flowers, it then produces an orange-red calyx resembling a small lantern.
Chinese lanterns need full sun and soil that drains well. This plant will spread by sending rhizomes underground. If you don’t want it to spread, plant it in a contained area or pot. The seed pod can be toxic.
An eye-catching orange flower is the bronze daisy mammoth mum, Chrysanthemum morifolium. What is so eye catching is the dramatic color of the flower with its deep bronze petals and yellow center.
This perennial grows in zones 3 to 9 and blooms late summer through the autumn. If you plant this mum, you will need well-drained, humus-rich soil for the daisy-like, 3- to 4-inch blooms that can reach a height of 3 feet.
A recent gardening hobby of mine is to learn different ways to propagate plants. If you wish to propagate this mum simply divide the root ball or make a stem cutting to stick in a pot of soil. It can’t get any easier.
This season, I love the orange zinnias in my yard.
Zinnias were in the mix of wildflower seeds. They reseed themselves and the butterflies love them. It is easy to deadhead them while working in the garden.
When our temperatures turn a bit cooler, I am always ready to dig into the soil again with a renewed vigor. I know that I will be changing some of the existing plants for more fall-toned ones. Wouldn’t you love to have one or more of these flowers add a burst of orange to your landscape?
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk