Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, Helenium ‘Mardi Gras’, Rosa moyesii ‘Geranium’
A study in vibrant color, this trio for a sunny spot sizzles in shades of flame, tangerine and scarlet. ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ is an old dahlia variety worth searching for because of its plum suffused leaves, graceful habit and clear red blossoms that don’t bend the stems. It will bloom from early summer into late October. Heleniums are members of the daisy or composite family, with an elegance and refinement not usually associated with the genus. Like other Heleniums, ‘Mardi Gras’ begins blooming in late summer, when other flowering perennials are winding down for the year. It’s an attribute that alone would earn it a place in the garden, even if it weren’t so charming. For bold color in shades of scarlet, cinnamon, lemon and saffron, many with two or more of these hues that deepen with age, it’s hard to beat the Heleniums. Rosa moyesii ‘Geranium’ has blossoms of deepest crimson, but that’s not the reason I planted it. Its flagon-shaped hips will turn from pale apricot to tangerine, and eventually to sealing wax red as the year wanes.