It’s great to welcome back gardening expert P. Allen Smith for his monthly guest blog post on Tobi’s Blog!  In conjunction with this month’s Color Coded feature on coral and navy, Allen shows us how to use these colors in the garden.  And if you’re a gardening enthusiast, be sure to check out his new blog at www.pallensmith.com/blog.   -Tobi

I was so inspired by Tobi’s feature on combining coral and navy in interior design and fashion that I wanted to explore these two exciting companions in the garden as well! 

From top right: Catalina® Midnight Blue torenia, Rockapulco® Red
double impatiens, Angelface® blue angelonia and ColorBlaze® Sedona coleus.
photo: Hortus, Ltd.

I looked around the potting shed and took a simple jardinière in a striking blue glaze and filled it with some of my favorite Proven Winners® plants for a hot summer combo.  The Rockapulco® Red double impatiens have a wonderful mass of blooms that resemble mini rosebuds and boast a rich coral-red hue. And the Catalina® Midnight Blue torenia and Angelface® blue angelonia plays the perfect foil against the textured foliage of the ColorBlaze® ‘Sedona’ coleus. This is a super-easy container to put together, and it’s also low maintenance. I simply filled the 16-inch container about two-thirds full with a potting mixture from Pro-Mix  that’s made especially for containers. I inserted one of each plant, filled them in with more potting mix, and watered them in.

From left: Van Bloem ‘Gallery Art Deco’ dahlia, Ferry Morse ‘Giant Blue’ pansy and Van Bloem ‘Jimmy’ tulips.
photos: Jane Conclasure, Kelly Quinn, Mark Fonville

 Now, I’m also a big fan of these colors in the landscape, as well, and there are some remarkable choices to bring this combo into your garden. The texture and spectrum of the coral in both the dahlia and tulip make for major visual impact when planted in great numbers, while the saturation of the ‘Giant Blue’ pansy’s color really makes it stand out in beds and borders.

photos: Donna Evans, Mark Fonville

The aptly named Coral Drift® Rose from Conard-Pyle is a smart choice for small spaces. A cross between full-size groundcover roses and miniatures, their vibrant flowers bloom continuously from spring to frost, and are incredibly tough and easy to care for. I think they also complement my navy shirt nicely, don’t you? Allen