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flowers and in shades of orange to burnt amber, but to me a sunflower should be brilliant gold.In the past I've often left the old sunflower heads on the stem to ripen and set seed, providing home-grown bird food. However, many new varieties lack pollen

, or show off their blooms with decorative mulches in pots.Our favourite varietiesThe rose-pink flowers of T. platystigma bear traces of orange running through the petals, becoming clearer towards the margins. Height 60cm.Tulipa platystigmaThis species

, followed by large orange/red berries.  Ours has been in the garden for several years and only flowered for the first time this year. Hope this helps.      soon tell, break a leaf, the iris stinks. Or dig one up. Sternbergia is a bulb, Iris foetidissima

and sometimes stems. It takes its nutrition from the plant. This can weaken the plant and in severe cases reduce its flowering or productivity. Bad infestations may result in total loss of leaves and occasionally in death of the plant.Yellow patches on leaves

-in-law's garden, where it overhangs her pond — it was love at first sight. Who could resist the delightful, slightly curled leaves? Especially when, come the autumn, they transform into an extraordinarily flamboyant conflagration of red and orange. Parrotias

I'm sure there has been research done on how the colour of food affects our attitude to it. If it looks good then it hopefully tastes good too, but who wants to eat blue potatoes, purple carrots or orange cauliflowers?When it comes to salads I want

that the Latin name for watercress is Nasturtium officinale.So, what other edible flowers add colour to my summer salads? Well, pot marigold or calendula petals look lovely. Orange varieties self-seed on my veg plot, and one or two flowers provide sufficient

cm) but the pale yellow flowers have a rather charming twist. Good for pots and the front of borders.Dahlia 'David Howard': reminds me of the finest chunky cut marmalade. The orange is quite strong but very cheerful. I grow it with the second flush

are bright gold in colour, with orange-gold beards. Mid- to late-season flowering, from May to June, height 60cm.Iris 'Minted Gold'An intermediate bearded iris with striking copper-coloured standards and deep red falls. The shorter stem makes it useful

Why is it that you rarely see zinnias in summer bedding displays? Do they give the impression of being an old-fashioned flower? Well, I think they're in for a revival, and with some stunning new varieties coming onto the market I'm recommending them