'Klondike' cosmos is a dwarf
annual that offers waves of
brilliant orange all summer long.

Cheerful and Bold

Bring out the best in both bold and pale oranges by blending them with their color wheel complement: blue. When you contrast fiery orange flowers with blue and yellow ones, the border sizzles. Deep blue Salvia farinacea combined with orange-yellow calendula or peachy verbascum results in a magnificent effect. You'll get comparably classic results from a trio of orange, red, and blue.

Purple also marries with orange in a sophisticated color composition. Both contain red values, ensuring compatibility. Sometimes the colors crop up on the same plant, as in the magnificent multitints of Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow.' On the blue side of purple, lilacs, and lavenders also flatter deep orange.

Mingle orange flowers with pink and you end up with a plant painting that's slightly dissonant but delicious. Add white or pale yellow to knit the two other colors together. Similarly, cream and bronze partners moderate orange. Orange and white duos create vignettes with a fresh feel. If the white flowers have orange or yellow centers, the match works even better.

Related Slide Show: Best Orange Flowers for Your Garden

 

Red hot poker produces bottlebrush
flowers in shades of red, yellow,
and orange. It's a favorite of
hummingbirds.

Combining orange with lime green brings out the yellow values in both colors. This duet works wonderfully in the shade when the orange blooms of trollius, azalea, or tiger lily stand out among chartreuse foliage. Complete this sensational shady scenario by adding purple-leaf plants.

Pale orange hues, such as peach, salmon, and apricot, harmonize happily with silver-leaf plants, especially in cloudy climates. Imagine peach-color roses skirted with artemisia, rue, or lavender. 'Southern Charms' verbascum or 'Brompton Apricot' stock combine peach-color petals and silvery foliage all in one.

Related Feature: Bold Colors for Your Garden