Planting sunshine
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Planting Sunshine with Yellow Flowers
Don't be afraid of the boldness of yellow in your garden. Embrace its sunny disposition.
Yellow can be brash and bold, but it deserves a place in every
yard. When used sparingly and in combination with contrasting
colors, this golden hue can light up a garden. You can intensify
yellow's bold tendencies by pairing it with red, orange, or
lavender. Or group it with pink or green for a more subtle
combination.
Hues of yellow are at their best in the spring, fall, and
winter. The blazing summer sun often causes yellow to appear
washed-out and drab. The lower light intensity of the other three
seasons is friendlier toward golden hues and they respond by
practically glowing.
Spring abounds with yellow. From cheery daffodils to tiny
crocus peeking through the snow, bulbs offer many yellow hues.
Shrubs such as forsythia can also be counted on for yellow spring
blossoms.
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Summer offers up many yellow annuals and perennials,
including yarrow (Achillea millefolium), sunflowers
(Helianthus), sundrops (Oenothera perennis), and
lilies.
Fall is ablaze with yellow leaf color. For yellow flower
color, look to coneflower (Rudbeckia), tickseed
(Coreopsis), and goldenrod (Solidago).
Winter is a time when colorful yellow barks really shine.
Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea') and willow
(Salix alba var. vitellina) both have yellow winter shoots.
And when left standing, ornamental grasses will turn a deep gold
color.
The Yellow Top 10
When you want yellow in the garden, you have a wide variety of
annuals and perennials to choose from. Here are our picks for the
easiest to grow:
- Zinnia (Zinnia elegans). This cut-flower favorite
is easy to grow from seed sown in the garden, and stands up well to
heat. - Black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata).
Although it resembles its earth-bound cousin, this fast-growing
vine produces flowers from spring through fall. - Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis), an
orange-yellow cool-season annual. - Dalberg daisy (Thymophylla tenuiloba). This
ferny-leafed annual produces cheery yellow blooms all summer. - Basket of gold (Aurinia saxatilis). Low-growing
plant covered with tiny gold flowers in early spring. - Primrose (Primula auricula). In cooler climates,
grow these as annuals for summer bloom. In the far south, they
bloom throughout the winter. - Cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma). This
low-maintenance summer-flowering perennial features blue-green or
variegated leaves that look great even when the attractive flowers
are done blooming. - California poppy (Eschscholzia calilfornica).
This spring-blooming flower is grown as an annual in most
locations. It is most at home in a rock garden or naturalized in a
meadow. - Leopardsbane (Doronicum). Pretty yellow
daisy-like flowers appear in May. During hot weather, the plant may
appear to die back, but it will return. - Painted tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata). Imagine
petunia flowers with veins of contrasting color running through the
blooms and you'll have a picture of this annual.