Nothing gets me into the swing of summer better than planting my summer bulbs. Pantone’s 2012 Color of the Year inspired my summer garden color theme. I admit it … I have a crush on ‘Tangerine Tango’! A variety of summer bloomers such as cannas, dahlias, gladioli and lilies will flower for me from June well into October in my sunny borders. I planted my carroty-colored beauties in my terrace gardens and also around my water features. I’ll also get plenty of mileage from them inside as cut flowers. The large textured and striking colorful foliage of many of the cannas are an added layer of interest in the garden. The best news is that many of these summer bulbs are hummingbird and butterfly attractants and wildlife resistant. Mix and match any of the following for an energized orange pop in the summertime garden.
Summer Flowering Corms, Rhizomes and Tubers
Summer “bulbs” are a great way to include Tangerine Tango in your garden. You can enjoy the color all summer and easily replace the plants next spring with the current Pantone color.
Canna ‘Pretoria’
Canna ‘Bronze Rosever’
Dahlia ‘Art Deco’
Gladiola ‘Aphrodite’
Gladioula ‘Africa’
Asiatic Lily ‘Orange Pixie’
Hybrid Lily ‘First Crown’
Colors to Pair with Tangerine Tango
The Rule of Two Thirds
Tangerine Tango is a reddish orange that forms a triad on the color wheel with chartreuse and blue-green. A triad is three hues equidistant from each other on the color wheel. To employ the rule of two thirds pair Tangerine Tango with just one of these colors and add hints of purple, red or pink.
Keep it Hot
Another striking combination is using all warm colors. Mix Tangerine Tango with pinks, reds and golden yellows.
Go Bold
If you really want to cause a stir pair Tangerine Tango with blue, its complementary color. Be sure to use a neutral to bridge the two hues such as gray or dark green.
