Color Essay Number 11: Burgundy

The bouquet of carnations in my front hall has got me thinking about the color burgundy and its uses in the garden. (Carnations are so common that you can forget to appreciate them for little beauties they are. Not only are they inexpensive, I find they last forever as a cut flower. I always try to pick a bouquet that have a rich, spicy scent.)

In the garden burgundy is a color that can be found not only in flowers, but leaves and stems as well. Without further delay, let's take a look at great places to find burgundy in the garden. 

In my garden and elsewhere as noted, I hope you will find a few ideas of how to inject a bit of burgundy into your planing schemes.

Burgundy hollyhocks in a neighbor's garden.

Burgundy hollyhocks look pretty mixed in with different shades of pink here in the Lucy 

Maud Montgomery garden in Norval, Ontario.

A daylily from my own garden. Sorry, I am not sure of the variety.

A birdhouse to break things up a bit.

Japanese Blood Grass in the background with the burgundy stems of Heuchera (coral bells)

 in bloom in the foreground. Private garden in  Eramosa Township.

Deep burgundy mix with peachy pink dahlia in this bouquet from the local farmer's market.

Late in the summer, sedum can be counted on to add a show of pink and burgundy colored flowers. Last two images are from Edward's Garden in Toronto. 

Dragon's Blood (left) is a great burgundy colored groundcover in my small rock garden and an unknown variety (quite possibly Sedum 'Autumn Joy') from my circle garden (on the right).

"Purple Petticoats"a new Heuchera that I added to the front garden last fall.

The grey-green leaves and burgundy stems of the the Sedum on the left and the Heuchera on the right do a nice job of breaking the expanse of green leaves.

If you are thinking of adding a splash of burgundy to your own garden this spring, don't forget to consider some shrubs. The Ninebark shrub on the right really makes a nice backdrop for this bed of annuals at Edward's Garden in Toronto.

I have been trying to resist Barberry because I hate their fine, sharp thorns, but when I see a planting like this, I find my resolve weakening. Lost Horizon's Nursery, Acton, Ontario.

Barberry effectively injected into the sea of green on the left and up close on the right. Lost Horizon's Nursery, Acton, Ontario.

In terms of trees, Japanese Maples are a great way to add a hit of burgundy into an 

expanse of green leaves. Lost Horizon's Nursery, Acton, Ontario.

A personal favorite, Euphorbia 'Bonefire' covered in frost crystals in late fall.

A final bit of burgundy in my front garden. Mums, which I add to my beds in the fall, help to keep the flowers going into late October.

The dark stems of my Dogwood carry the color burgundy right through the winter. 

This shot is from Canada Blooms.

Have a great weekend!