8 summer bulbs with orange flowers that you must have in your garden

Crocosmia 'Babylon'

Crocosmia ‘Babylon’, also known as “Orange Montbretia”, is simply a remarkable variety! With its rare elegance and long, gracefully arching flower stems, this crocosmia shines with the colour of its large fire-orange lily-like flowers with a mahogany-red centre, enhanced by a small golden throat. Each flower spike blooms from July to October, producing 50 red buds that open into flowers approximately 4 cm in diameter, contrasting beautifully with the dark green iris-like foliage.

It forms a lovely upright clump about 70 cm tall.

Hardy down to -10 °C, it is best suited to mild climates. Low-maintenance, it should be planted in groups of 10 in fertile, well-drained, and moist soil in full sun. It particularly thrives in the Breton climate as it is a plant that fears summer drought. Under these conditions, it multiplies over the years, returning each year more floriferous. Just ensure to water it well in summer to maintain its stunning flowering.

Crocosmia ‘Babylon’

In a summer bed with vibrant tones, pair it with other blooms in similar colours such as Cannas, Rudbeckias, and Coreopsis. Temporise by planting a few clumps of Chinese fountain grass nearby.

The Double Lily 'Flore Pleno'

The Double Lily ‘Flore Pleno’ is a variation of the famous “Tiger Lily” with double flowers. In August, numerous and large tiger-patterned flowers measuring 10 cm in diameter appear on a vigorous stem. They display multiple beautifully curled bright orange petals speckled with chocolate, giving them a surprising tiger-like effect. Each flower can have up to forty petals.

This is a very tall, majestic botanical species that can reach heights of 1 to 1.5 m at maturity.

This botanical lily ‘Flore Pleno’ is a stunningly hardy lily that thrives ideally in full sun with its base in shade. Plant it in groups of at least five bulbs in rather acidic, fertile, loose, and well-draining soil. Keep the soil moist in summer but not overly wet. Under these conditions, it will settle in easily. This species of lily has the unique characteristic of producing bulbils in the axil of the leaves. You can detach them from the stem to replant wherever you wish.

With its impressive and vibrant flowers, this type of lily easily integrates into a summer border, providing structure alongside other equally exuberant blooms such as gladioli and daylilies, for example.

‘Lily ‘Flore Pleno’

Gladiolus 'Conca d'Oro'

With the  gladiolus ‘Conca d’Oro’, the orange tone is softened, giving it a more romantic feel. It features an unusual colouration for a gladiolus, which is typically exuberant with sometimes saturated hues. It blooms all summer, from June to September. It bears generous spikes adorned with large flowers measuring 10 cm in diameter, with silky petals of a soft coppery orange. Their throat opens to reveal a golden yellow interior. This is a truly elegant and luminous variety.

This beautiful gladiolus can reach up to 1.20 m in height when in bloom, given the right conditions, namely full sun and fertile, well-drained, sandy soil.

In the garden, it will shine in a wildflower bed alongside other full-sun plants with summer flowering. Plant it among clumps of blue salvias and grasses like Stipas to create a contrast of shapes and tones. It will also make a lovely pairing with dahlias, such as the landscape dahlia ‘Catherine Deneuve’ with its dark bronze-purple foliage and orange flowers.

Gladiolus ‘Conca d’Oro’

Canna 'Wyoming'

It’s the canna in all its glory! ‘Wyoming’ is a cultivar that does not do things by halves, embodying all the characteristics of the genus. Towering at 1.5 m, it is appreciated for its summer flowering in warm tones as well as for its extremely decorative, purple foliage. From July to October, it captivates with its large, 12 cm flowers that burst forth in a very bright orange, intensified by the darker hue of its large purple leaves.

This majestic and lush canna loves full sun and rich, humus-rich, fertile soils that remain relatively cool. Like dahlias, it is a bulb (a rootstock to be precise) that is frost-sensitive and must be kept safe from frost throughout the winter before being transplanted into the garden once the fine weather returns.

It will stand out in the centre of an exuberant summer bed, immediately adding volume, colour, and exoticism. Other vibrant flowers, such as crocosmias and kniphofias, will accompany it.

Canna ‘Wyoming’

The decorative Dahlia 'Babylon Bronze'

Why not indulge in opulent flowers? The Dahlia ‘Babylon Bronze’ is a summer bulb with a delectable colour. It boasts an extraordinary flowering period from July until the frosts. Its richly nuanced colours, ranging from salmon to orange with bronze highlights, and even honey, give it a lot of charm and flair. Its long, slightly plicate and pointed petals create a tousled pompom. This multiple award-winning Dahlia is also classified in the Giant Dahlias category due to the size of its fully double flowers, measuring 20 to 25 cm in diameter.

It develops a beautiful bush averaging 1 m in height and 60 to 70 cm in width. The bulbs should be planted in full sun in rich, cool, and well-drained soil. Sensitive to cold, they need to be wintered in most of our regions.

The lovely stature of this variety makes it suitable for the back of a border with spicy colours alongside other vigorous perennials like Echinaceas and Cannas. Heliopsis and garden chrysanthemums will accompany it right up to the gates of winter.

Hedychium coccineum 'Tara'

Also known as “Red Longose” or “Ornamental Ginger”, this Hedychium ‘Tara’ is a very popular cultivar appreciated for its exotic style and its flowering as airy as that of gaura or butterflies! From late August to September, depending on the climate, it produces dense spikes that can measure up to 30 cm, bearing numerous bright orange flowers. Each flower releases a very long red stamen. All of this is supported by beautiful lush foliage of a glossy green, reminiscent of that of cannas.

It is an impressive rhizomatous plant, 70 to 90 cm wide, reaching heights of up to 1.20 m.

The ‘Tara’ cultivar is one of the hardiest in the genus, capable of withstanding temperatures down to -16°C under a thick protective mulch, allowing it to be planted even in the north of the Loire.

It stands out in a tropical-inspired bed, where you can pair it with the equally exotic red and yellow flowers of the Abutilon megapotamicum for example in a mild climate, or with a large Canna like ‘Brilliant’.

Hedychium coccineum ‘Tara’

The Arum or Calla 'Captain Fuego'

Here’s another original colour in the plant world! The Arum or Calla ‘Captain Fuego’ is a small variety, reaching 45 cm in height, that delights us with its colourful spathes from July to October. It offers a bouquet of large, corn-shaped flowers measuring 10 cm in diameter, featuring a bright orange throat and a golden-yellow reverse touched with fiery red. The true flower is nestled at its heart in the form of a yellow spike.

This very exotic flowering is supported by a tuft of large, fleshy, arrow-shaped leaves, green punctuated with white.

This florist’s arum (Zantedeschia) hails from South Africa and has naturalised in mild climates; it is therefore frost-sensitive and only survives in the ground in our most sheltered gardens. Elsewhere, it can be lifted at the first frosts and stored for winter in a light- and frost-free environment.

Like all arums, it must not lack water. This hybrid is particularly suited for pot cultivation, provided that watering is carefully managed. In a mild climate garden, it will need consistently moist soil, but not waterlogged, as the rhizomes could rot. Plant it in full sun near a water feature, or even partially submerged.

In a large exotic pot, pair it with a Persicaria ‘Black Field’ for a lovely contrast. The arum is quite a solitary plant, but it can also be grown at the edge of a pond, accompanied by New Zealand irises.

Zantedeschia ‘Captain Fuego’

Begonia Tuberhybrida 'Golden Balcony'

The Begonia Tuberhybrida ‘Golden Balcony’ is another bulb that stands out with its vibrant and luminous flowering! Its large, round, double flowers, measuring 8 cm in diameter, give it generosity and dynamism. It blooms continuously from July to October. Its broad, undulating petals showcase changing tones of orange, yellow, and vermilion red.

This lovely variety, with its warm yet delicate colours, cascades gracefully over a clump approximately 25 cm wide and 35 cm tall. The foliage is fleshy and ample.

The Begonia is a frost-sensitive plant that should be stored in a heated conservatory during winter as soon as the first frosts arrive. Place this stunning variety on the terrace or balcony in pots or hanging baskets, or as a border in the garden. It thrives in shaded conditions, in a cool, rich, and light substrate.

This begonia pairs beautifully with the yellow flowers of bidens and with some grasses (Carex, Chinese fountain grass…) that will add a touch of lightness.

Begonia pendula ‘Golden Balcony’