Brightly Colored Blooms Electrify Your Garden

Dahlias and Gladiolus Add Punch to Flowerbeds

The bright orange of Mrs. Eileen is hard to miss. When combined with purple flowers, it pops even more.

Hot colors are all the rage in today's flower gardens. Purples, reds and oranges—the brighter the better! If you want to add a jolt of color to your gardens and flower arrangements this summer, check out some of the vividly colored new gladiolus and dahlias from Dutch Gardens.

Dahlias are unbeatable as cut flowers, and they're also a great way to add late-summer drama to the perennial border. Plant them this spring and they'll ensure your garden is filled with traffic-stopping color all summer long.

Purple is definitely one of the "in" colors right now, and our friends at Dutch Gardens offer a number of beautiful purple dahlias. Lilac Time is a customer favorite, with huge blooms measuring up to 10-12 inches across, and attractive blue-green foliage. The flowers of Jean Marie are the same stunning hue of purple, with petals tipped in pure white. For deep-purple drama, Thomas Edison has no peer. Each dinnerplate-size bloom is a bouquet unto itself. Brand new for 2006 is Striped Duet, an eye-catching combination of orange, red and white. This dahlia is ideal for the middle of a perennial border as it's a compact 28-30" H. For a showy bloom that doesn't look at all like a dahlia, try Ambition. Its fluffy purple-rose flower heads are fantastic in arrangements.

Lilac Time

What can you combine with your purple dahlias for 100-volt color? How about orange? Mrs. Eileen is as orange as it gets. There's simply nothing that compares with these huge, 10" blooms. Or how about yellow? Kelvin Floodlight's egg yolk yellow flowers are a smashing contrast with purple. Ready to pull out all the stops? Try a purple and red combo! For a can't-miss red dahlia, choose fire-engine red Barbarossa.

Green Star Gladiolus

For another source of bold color in the garden or in arrangements, consider planting gladiolus. Each stem is a regal spire of vivid color, with individual blooms that open successively over a week or more. Imagine the impact of a late-summer bouquet that includes deep, velvety red Black Jack, brilliant red Wigs Sensation and sunny yellow Morning Gold. Wow! For a "stop-the-car" combo, try the bold contras to two secondary colors: Green Star and blue-violet Saphir.

For these varieties and dozens of other fabulous, technicolor flowers, browse through the complete Dutch Gardens offering of dahlias and gladiolus. For expert tips on planting and care, read The Basics: Dahlias or The Basics: Gladiolus.