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This exciting new blanketflower uniquely combines a breakthrough in color with an abundance of longer lasting blooms. Trials demonstrate it to be more floriferous and longer flowering than any other blanketflower hybrid.
Hardiness Zone |
Light Preference |
Plant Height |
Plant Spread |
 |
 |
 |
 |
USDA Zones 4* to 9 |
Full sun (part sun okay) |
18” to 24” |
15” to 18” |
* Dr. Leonard Perry, from the University of Vermont, has confirmed with us that he has had it over-winter, since 2004, in his Zone 4a area.
Just look at these features of ‘Oranges & Lemons’:
The 3-4" daisy-like blooms bring luscious new color hues to the palette of these much appreciated natives. ‘Oranges & Lemons’ emerges marmalade orange with lemon yellow tips. As the flowers mature, the delightful coloration gradually changes to warm shades of peach and melon. Later in the season as the late summer and autumn temperatures decline, the coloration intensifies to delectable shades of tangerine and orange.
Click on the picture for larger view
Quite incredibly, it flowers from early summer all the way through to the hard frosts of late autumn and early winter.
Here in my central Pennsylvania garden it was still flowering in early December! True, the autumn of 2006 was unusually mild, but this experience shows just how floriferous and long lasting this plant can be. In mild areas, it will start even earlier too (late spring) and continue longer, making ‘Oranges & Lemons’ the longest flowering blanketflower we have ever trialed.
Hardiness Zone: USDA 6
Note: the exact level of hardiness has yet to be fully determined. It has
over-wintered fine in my zone 6 garden, so we know that it is at least a zone 6 plant.
Some experts estimate that it could be hardy in Zone 5, but this has yet to be confirmed
in our extended testing.
Leaf/Foliage
The slightly furry leaves are a pleasing shade of soft olive green.
Habit
Growing to less than 2 feet, it makes a loose, rounded mound with upright, sturdy
flower stems that prominently display the flowers well above the foliage.
Easy to grow in any sunny, well-drained location. It thrives in light, sandy or gravelly soils. Remove spent flowers for continuous display.
Makes a terrific specimen plant in mixed borders, raised beds, and rock gardens. It is very effective when massed in bold, dramatic groupings on banks, hillsides, and open style layouts. ‘Oranges & Lemons’ is perfect for gardens near the shore, and, like its siblings, the nectar rich central cones of the big, flat daisies make wonderful landing platforms and feeding sites for butterflies.
The long lasting, sturdy stemmed flowers are great as cut flowers, and since this long flowering, sun lover is drought and heat tolerant, and it makes a dependable container plant, too.
It turned up in the middle of a seed grown batch of Gaillardia ‘Dazzler’. It was a chance seedling that was noticed by Rosy Hardy of Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants in Whitchurch, Hampshire in England.
Rosy is a seasoned, professional nursery lady who recognizes a good plant when she sees one. She and her husband Rob have consistently won 10 gold medals for their displays at the famous Chelsea Flower Show. She says that in southern England it will flower for 10 months. Rosy considers ‘Oranges & Lemons’ to be a plant with "great potential."
They have wonderful reports of it growing well in customers gardens throughout Britain, even in the colder and wetter areas of northern Scotland.
It grows vigorously and flowers so much that towards late summer it is a good idea to trim it back to about 3 inches from the ground. This stimulates lots of bushy new growth and a renewed round of scintillating flowers that carries into the fall and latter part of the season.
Many gardeners will consider putting it next to obvious partners like thread leaved tickseed (Coreopsis), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), ornamental grasses or even purple colored asters in the fall. In my garden I have combined it most successfully with Sedum cauticola ‘Lidakense’ and Yucca ‘Color Guard’.
This combination makes for a trouble-free, drought tolerant and long lasting combination.
Planted with the grayish, purple leaved Sedum, this dusky colored, cushion shaped spreader makes a perfect foreground plant, while the golden variegation of Yucca ‘Color Guard’ blends nicely with the deep, warming shades of ‘Oranges & Lemons’ and makes a wonderful, spiky contrast to the softly textured blanketflower leaves (see examples below).
Click on the picture for larger view
Here's a combination that really works! They all thrive in the same sunny, free draining growing conditions and collectively provide a long period of low maintenance, high performance color.
This zesty new blanketflower is yet another fine Garden Splendor® selection that demonstrates why Garden Splendor® plants are "Plants Worth Remembering"™.
We are just getting our first shipments of ‘Oranges & Lemons’ now. This is the perfect time to add some zest to your garden, and enjoy some carefree color over the next few months.
Until next time, remember.... Enjoy your gardening. It's good for you!
