Until recently, if someone had asked for my thoughts on the colour yellow in the garden, my immediate reaction would probably have been: ‘apart from daffodils, then I’m not a big fan’. Then came an early summer day when a rose of sharon, aka hypericom hidcote, was in full bloom just outside the kitchen window. Planted a couple of years ago, it was a mass of bright star-shaped flowers, with plenty more buds to suggest it would be in bloom for some time. Yes, a bit blowsy perhaps, and no doubt derided by experts (I have heard such remarks on various gardening broadcasts over the years). But on that day it got me to re-think the merits of yellow in the garden. I also realised that a colour I thought I’d avoided, was in fact quite well-represented in the Dumfriesshire Garden. I decided to look at this a little more carefully and here below is the outcome, season by season.
Spring
At this time of year, daffodils and narcissi predominate of course, as I have described previously The yellow coltsfoot appears even in a cold spring, it’s a welcome resident from the wild world. Marsh marigold is a long-standing attraction by the pond and the delicate flowers of epimedium are always a spring time delight, as are the tough and adaptable merrybells. Late spring flag iris and tree peony keep the yellow theme going.
Summer
Buttercup and bird’s foot trefoil proliferate in grassy verges. Then come Jerusalem sage, giant scabious and rose of sharon. There are also yellow dogwood leaves, wild broom, and the wonderfully named elf dock.
Autumn
The tall and vigorous elf dock keeps going in a cooler part of the garden. Swamp candles dot the big border. The ligularia is an autumn stunner (I’m pondering splitting and spreading the joy elsewhere in the garden). The pumpkin lantern joins in the theme. The sunflowers here have crashed over in an autumn wind, but still put on a display, as does the yellow bog asphodel looking good alongside purple eupatorium.
Winter
There are not so many examples to select for yellow in winter! First, an ice cream dessert with frozen chocolate (short lifespan!). Then hazel catkins. I’ve recently planted several mahonia japonica around the garden, and what a display they make on a gloomy day! The leaves of early winter hornbeam complete the picture.
My title here is of course a 1960s nod to a well known song by Donovan. I was hoping the lyrics would spur me to new connections with yellow in the garden, but in fact when I dug them out, they seemed somewhat problematic in various ways. Nor were Yellow Submarine or Big Yellow Taxi particularly helpful. Nevertheless these reflections here have altered my thoughts on where yellow belongs in the garden. I might investigate some more plants to add to the collection. One day, folks might even call me mellow yellow …
Note: any mistakes here in the naming of plants are entirely my own.
Quotidian 